Life and Death
by Grape Icies
Summary: DEAR LIFE AND DEATH READERS: I REGRET TO INFORM YOU ALL THAT THIS STORY WILL BE DISCONTINUED. PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR UPDATES. PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO PICK IT UP AGAIN. MY SKILL LEVELS HAVE SURPASSED THE QUALITY OF IT And I've grown to hate it Sorry :/
1. Prologue

What would've happened if Chiyo could use her life jutsu on both Gaara and Sasori? Resurrecting her beloved grandson and her village's kazekage may seem like a good idea, but what about Sasori? Can this former bad-boy learn how to be good again? And what of his numerous crimes? Can he be forgiven? It becomes up to Gaara to change and get past his grudge against this genius puppeteer. It's all for the woman who saved his life in exchange for hers… Is it even worth it?

A/N: In the beginning, Sakura will do something actually purely useful for once. I hate her… So useless! Anyway, I was so upset when Sasori-Dana had to die in his short manga appearance and when I re-read the chapters; I felt inspiration flicker upon me! Enjoy. Also… The chapter is very long. I have to do this first chapter mainly in accordance to the manga save a small section in Sakura and Sasori's argument before his death.

---

Chiyo panted gently. She looked at Sasori and said warily, "Sakura received a fatal wound but she didn't die. So I… also came to her level…"

Sasori snorted. "Well… That's a pity."

Sakura clutched her fist in anger.

_TWACK!_

The wood on Sasori's cheek cracked.

Chiyo just stared at Sakura. "…"

The pink-haired kunochi panted, glaring at Sasori.

The puppeteer looked at her expectantly, "Give it up… This body feels no pain. If all you do is hit me, your fist is all that will hurt." He spun his head back into place. "Women like to do useless things don't they…?" He chuckled. Sasori continued, "Even connected by blood ties as we are, I won't feel a thing if my grandmother here dies. My heart… Is the same as this body. Of all the hundreds and thousands of murders I've committed… She's just another one of them. It's that simple."

Sakura clenched her fists tighter. "What do you think a human life is?!" she yelled angrily. "What do you think blood ties are?!"

Sasori looked at her. "Hey…" he asked, "Are those words of a shinobi?"

Sakura asked him, exasperated, "Why…? Why can't you think any other way?"

Chiyo sighed. "That's enough… Sakura… What made him this way is the terrible customs and teachings of Suna…"

Sakura looked at her. "… "

Sasori offered sarcastically, "Want to become like this? If you do, then you'll probably get what I'm saying." He paused. "An undecaying body… A puppet's body can be built as many times as one pleases, unfettered by a mortal lifespan… I can just make as many people as I want out of puppets…" He grinned. "If I want them, that is. I don't just add for the sake of numbers. Collections are ab—"

Sakura yelled, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU AND YOUR BLABBER! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" She grabbed his collar. "Don't you think it's sad?! You just got pierced in the heart by your grandmother using puppets YOU made of YOUR PARENTS!"

Sasori quieted.

"The only reason Chiyo-Obaa came out on this mission is because she heard YOU were involved! Are you that heartless?!"

He looked at her. "Yes. Yes I am."

Sakura fumed. "I wish you could live just so I could prove you wrong!"

Sasori coughed. "That makes two of us. Just so I could prove myself right."

Sakura growled. "So be it. I will prove you wrong, you bastard."

"I'll be waiting in the after-life. I doubt you can do it though. I'll make you a deal." He added, "I heard you wanted information on Orochimaru."

Sakura snapped up. "!"

"Revive me within ten days, and you'll get your information…" Sasori drifted off and fell limply to the ground.

Sakura pulled the swords out of Sasori's heart and lifted it out of his chest. His head followed.

"What are you doing?"

"He promised information on Orochimaru. I'll get that information… For Sasuke." She placed his heart in her medical bag and held his head in her hands. "Let's go… We've finished here."

Chiyo picked up Sasori's headband and ring. She summoned her puppets into their scrolls. She turned to Sakura and buckled in pain. "GRAGH!"

"Chiyo-Sama! The antidote! I'll make one immediately!"

"No!" she grimaced. "There's no time. There's still something I must do."

---

Sakura and Chiyo landed gently beside Naruto and Kakashi. Sakura sighed in relief. "Finally caught up…"

Kakashi commented, you found this place well…"

Sakura explained, "We saw where the enemy was flying before."

Chiyo noted. "You are still having trouble here, it seems."

Naruto asked Sakura, "What's that in your hands?"

She hushed him. "I'll tell you later. There's something much more important."

"Yes," Chiyo agreed. "More importantly… What of Gaara?"

Naruto glanced upwards, towards his clones with Gaara in their hands.

Chiyo nodded. "All right…"

Deidara watched cautiously from the bushes. "…" _Sasori-Dana's head, un. What did these witches do, un? Well… It was a fitting end for an artist, if I do say so myself. _He stood. "!!!"

"Well done, Neji," Gai complimented.

Kakashi and Naruto looked towards them in surprise.

_SHINK!_

Ten-ten grimaced when her shuriken were deflected.

Deidara thought to himself, a kunai in his mouth, _There's no way I can escape… Wait! Over there!_

"Team Gai! WATCH OUT! HE'S A LONG-DISTANCE TYPE WHO ATTACKS WITH EXPLOSIVES!"

Neji, Ten-Ten, and Lee landed near Deidara and his broken clay bird.

Deidara discarded the kunai and bit down on the clay, ripping apiece off. His cloak quickly began to inflate largely. "Take a look at my ultimate work of art! Art is a bang!"

Neji started in surprise. "!!" _The chakra's gathering in one spot at once! He couldn't be… _"EVERYONE! HURRY! GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

"!!" All of them escaped quickly.

Deidara's body swelled a considerable amount before BAM! It exploded.

Neji angrily thought to himself '_Too late!'_

Naruto's clones moved Gaara to safety from the explosion.

Gai looked in Deidara's direction and asked, "What's going on?" It looked as if everything was being sucked into a small wormhole, softening the explosion by multifold.

Kakashi's mangekyou sharingan was seen in his left eye. _Somehow… I made it in time._

Gai smiled. _I expect nothing less from my rival…_

Kakashi collapsed. Naruto grabbed him and asked urgently, "Are you alright, Kakashi-Sensei?"

---

Interruption: OMFG! This weird ass noise just came from the bathroom!!

---

Sakura asked, eyes wide, "What in the world did you do…?"

Kakashi warily answered, "Him and the explosion… I sent them to another dimension." He asked, "More importantly, is everyone safe?"

Naruto's clones came down with Gaara's body. One said, "Sakura-Chan…"

Sakura and Chiyo looked at it.

---

Some way, some how, they end up in a field of grass.

Sakura is seen hovering over Gaara's body, examining it.

"Sakura…" Naruto asked.

She sadly shook her head.

Gaara lay there, eyes closed, unmoving and unbreathing.

Sakura stood.

Naruto clenched his teeth, tears spilling over. "…Why was Gaara… Always Gaara… To die like this! He's the kazekage! He didn't just become Kazekage."

"Relax…" Chiyo commanded, "Uzumaki Naruto."

He lashed around and snapped, "SHUT UP!"

Chiyo froze.

"IF YOU SHINOBI OF THE SAND HADN'T PUT A MONSTER IN GAARA, THEN NOTHING LIKE THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED!!! DID ANY OF YOU TRY TO ASK GAARA HOW HE FELT?!! WHAT IS THIS "JINCHUURIKI" ANYWAY?!! YOU JUST ARROGANTLY MADE UP THAT WORD TO CALL THEM!!!" Naruto rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, sobbing heavily. "I couldn't save Sasuke and I couldn't save Gaara… For three years I trained desperately, but nothing's changed since three years ago, has it?"

Chiyo frowned. "Sakura… Tell my brother to use that jutsu on Sasori… You need your information…"

Sakura started, "Chiyo-Sama!"

"I hope when my grandson is revived… He can change his ways. I will leave his care to the kazekage as a favor for saving his life." Chiyo dropped down to Gaara's level and gathered formidable amounts of energy. She placed her hands on his chest and began the life transfer jutsu…

Sakura yelled, "CHIYO-SAMA!"

Naruto asked, "What are you trying to do now?"

Gai asked, "That's?"

"Yes." Kakashi answered.

Naruto yelled, enraged, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

Sakura looked at him seriously. "She's bringing Gaara back."

---

After the prayer, Sakura stopped Chiyo's brother. "I need a very large favor. Chiyo asked me to ask you to do this…"

He nodded. "Just tell me what you need."

"I need a dead body and you to use the life-transfer… by request of your sister for her grandson."

He hesitated. "Why?"

"He holds key information that I desperately need… Plus, Chiyo wanted her grandson to live."

"When we arrive at the village."

---

Sasori groaned. He felt a pressure on his chest… Heart? Wait. He was alive? He sat up, tousling his red hair, obviously transferred onto a donated body. He looked in a mirror. His eyes were the same too. He looked around, catching the four scowls surrounding him.

Sakura demanded, "Talk! Tell us everything you know about Orochimaru!"

He scowled. "Fine… I'll tell you everything, as promised."


	2. He's Alive and Pissed Too!

Disclaimer: Ugh… I hate these. I don't own Naruto. The story belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: I seem to be regaining my insomniac trait. I have just broken night for the ninth time in my life. Oh! Fic news: It maybe Gaara/OC/Sasori triangle thingy. I'll put a poll up later after she's introduced. You'll like her! Except she has a slight Tayuya-dirty-mouth syndrome…

A/N (Edit): So… Yeah. I'm editing. Starting from this chapter on because people lose interest after these bad ones, so I really need to fix that.

---

Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi nodded. "I see."

Sakura turned to Kakashi. "Sensei, what if he's lying to us?"

Sasori laughed. "As if I would lie right now. What reason would I have with me being human once again, with no puppets, and the Kazekage standing four feet away? I may be evil, but I'm not stupid."

Gaara glared. "Wise choice."

Sasori muttered, "What am I doing here anyway?"

Sakura smiled her bittersweet smile. "Well… you see…"

---

When Sakura finished her account of Chiyo's last request, Sasori muttered to himself, "Old senile wretch of a grandmother…"

"If you want to not be condemned to death by hands of my elite ninjas by direct order of the Kazekage, you'd best try to behave yourself," Gaara said to him.

Sasori considered it. "Doesn't mean I have to like it…"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Whatever. We're leaving."

Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "TO RESUCE SASUKE! Let's go Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto and Sakura put one of Kakashi's arms around their shoulders and helped him out.

Gaara ordered three ninjas outside to go inside and make sure Sasori didn't try anything funny as he went down to see Naruto and his team off.

Sasori glowered at them. He was NOT going to like this. One of the forsaken three snapped at him, "You don't have to glare pins and needles, you." Female.

"Aiko, don't talk to him," one of the others commanded her. Sasori noted that this one was the tallest of the three.

She protested, "I'm not going to sit around with the bastard glaring at me like that! Chiyo-Sama and Gaara-Sama are doing the ungrateful asshole a favor!"

The other one warned, "Aiko… I've told you about your vocabulary."

Sasori looked at her in amusement as she glared then stuck her tongue out at the other ninja. "Shut up, Hikaru. I'll say whatever I want."

Sasori shook his head.

She muttered, "When's kazekage-sama coming back?"

The guy on Aiko's left nudged her. "He'll be back in a bit. But be quiet; Gaara-Sama would be furious if he saw you conversing with _him._" He regarded towards Sasori with obvious disgust.

Aiko sighed from beneath her mask and pulled her hair back with a tie.

"Such a pity," Sasori said. "I actually found your stupid conversing amusing."

The mask concealed Aiko's bright flush of anger. Had anyone seen her, her dark forest green eyes would've seemed to darken even more. "Too bad," she snapped, her voice obviously giving away her anger.

Gaara returned.

Sasori frowned. "He's back."

"Silence," commanded the Kazekage. He turned to his people. "Aiko, Satoshi, Hikaru. Come forward."

Aiko moved with her fellows, stopping in front of Gaara. They all knelt down on one knee and bowed in respect, "Kazekage-Sama."

"Take off your masks." They did so. Gaara turned to Sasori. "Hikaru will supervise you in your job, building and constructing puppets along with Kankuro. " Hikaru, a tall man with blond hair and brown eyes, acknowledged him off-handedly. "Aiko will show you how to live as a human again. She will stay with us in the kazekage manor and tend to you if you need help. I will be assisting her whenever my duties allow it." Aiko rolled her eyes away from Sasori and waved, disinterested. "Satoshi will monitor your progress from Aiko and Hikaru's reports." Satoshi, taller than the already tall Hikaru, had ebony black hair and dark, cold, hard black eyes that meant no nonsense.

Sasori indentified Satoshi as the one that was unnamed during the scolding of Aiko before. He also noted that amongst her others, she was a damn midget; Shorter than the Kazekage even and Gaara was definitely not the tallest person around… He sighed, "You guys really need to stop taking old bats seriously."

Aiko scowled. "I'd follow orders even if you killed me."

Gaara looked at her. "Don't give him ideas."

"Yes," he smirked. "I can make that possible."

Aiko snapped, "I would love to see you try, douche bag!"

"The brat's jabbering is annoying… I can cure that," Sasori offered.

She growled at him angrily. Gaara stopped her, "Hold your temper, Aiko. It would be much wiser to not engage in a battle with him."

Aiko glared at Sasori. "Yes, Gaara-Sama…"

Satoshi shook his head and said to Hikaru and Aiko. "Dismissed! Kazekage-Sama cannot be disturbed further."

They left.

---

Kankuro started, "You're not serious! Sasori's gonna work here? In this shop?"

Gaara nodded. "Don't complain. Puppetry is what he specializes in. His skill surpasses your own. Would he not be useful in your field?"

"Yeah, but…"

"But nothing. He will begin tomorrow under Hikaru's supervision. No arguments. I've already made up my mind."

Kankuro grumbled, returning back to the puppet warehouse. "AND HE BETTER FIX KARASU, KURIARI, AND, SANSHOUO!"

---

Sasori said to Gaara's message from Kankuro, "Whatever… Fixing them would be like making a child's toy."

Aiko rolled her eyes at him. "Arrogant much?"

"Bitchy much?" he countered right back.

Aiko muttered, "So says the bastard that was glaring daggers at us for bringing him back to life..."

He petted her head. "You'll understand why when you grow a few centimeters, brat."

Gaara grabbed Aiko's arm as she gasped, trying to lunge at him, and dragged her away against her fighting protests. He couldn't stop her from angrily flipping a birdie at Sasori, however, leaving her ranting furiously with occasional curses strung in.

Sasori laughed as he followed them. She was a very amusing creature. Maybe he would have fun…

---

Aiko opened a door in the house and ushered Sasori inside. "Your room. Mine is across the hall. DON'T BOTHER ME UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGANCEY! Tomorrow after you come back from Kankuro's shop, we're going out into town. Got it?"

He waved his hand. "Fine, fine. Get out."

Aiko glared at him as she walked out, slamming the door on her way out.

"She's much too easy to annoy," he grinned darkly.

---

Sasori held Karasu's head in his hands the next day. "Hmm…" He turned the wooden shape in his palm, examining it. Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouo's parts lay before him. Kankuro had demanded that the puppeteer repair his puppets, so he would do it. Kankuro after all was… He shuddered. _His boss… _The puppet master finally remembered the design and got to work.

Kankuro and Hikaru just watched a genius at his work.

---

Aiko whined to Temari, "Why can't it just be a regular show-around?"

"Because we're trying to get him to like being good. If you're mean and cold to him, I'm sure there's nothing much he will like else. I mean, he's your mission this time."

She grumbled darkly. "I loath you all…"

Temari clapped her hands together. "Atta girl! Now comes the question of how to get you ready."

Aiko backed away slowly. "Temari… Temari! Let's be reasona—is that make up?!" She cried as the other girl grabbed her, "TEMARI!"

---

Gaara heard the scream and could only guess what Temari was putting his best female ninja through. Maybe he'll accompany Aiko and Sasori through town… Maybe it would make it seem less like torture to the brunette kunochi. He stood and told his secretary, "Cancel all my meetings for the afternoon… I'll be attending to an important matter."

"Yes Kazekage-Sama."

---

Second Chapter! Man… I'm going through these chapters like nothing! Let's just hope I can keep the streak.

Poll to be posted after the third chapter:

~ Ai/Gaa One sided Sas/Ai

OR

~Sas/Ai One sided Gaa/Ai

The poll's on my profile.


	3. A Day Out in Suna

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except for Aiko because she's mine.

A/N: OREO! Oreo is my muse for this chapter because he's such a sexy doggie. THIS ONE'S FOR YOU OREO! YOU AND YOUR SEXY ASS EARS!

(Edit) Hmm… This chapter got shorter with edits… Mainly because most of the dialogue was bullshit… -_-

---

After Sasori got out of the puppet warehouse, having fixed all three of Kankuro's puppets, he headed to the Kazekage tower. People stared as he passed; the only other person with hair that red was the kazekage himself. No one knew that he was the great puppet master, Akasuna no Sasori. Scorpion of the Red Sand… All his works were marked with a unique red scorpion on their necks… He himself had had a scorpion tattoo on the inside of the joint piece to his neck and head back when he was a puppet… He liked it. He would have to get one soon… Oh god. Was that--?

Kankuro had given him his alternate wear at the warehouse since his clothes were full of sawdust. Never did Sasori anticipate both the midget guide AND the kazekage. He almost laughed out loud when he realized what she was bitching about this time.

"I'm going to hurt Temari… I'm going to do something very evil… I told her not to get carried away!" he heard her complain to the very amused Kazekage.

"The makeup looks good on you," he chuckled.

"UGH! IT DOES NOT!" she screeched, pulling on strands of her hair. "I spent all my life perfectly keeping my face free of the crap! And then in four seconds, the streak is broken! All my effort! Wasted! Broken!" Aiko ranted in agony.

Gaara chuckled a bit more. The girl could be amusing when she least wanted to be.

"I mean; I don't need makeup! I survive just fine without it!"

"It's just lip gloss. No need to get wound up over nothing."

She merely pouted and turned the other cheek.

Sasori commented after a while, "I must agree with Gaara here. You're really being bitchy over nothing."

"Oh shut up…" She muttered darkly.

Sasori grabbed her collar and pulled her along. "Let's go; the faster we start, the faster we finish."

"BASTARD! UNHAND ME!" she cried.

---

Sasori asked after they had been walking for a while, "What's with the walking absolutely everywhere? Why can't we just go to key spots?"

Aiko frowned. "The people are part of this village too, Sasori. If we're going to get you to know it, you have to know them too."

"Sure… Some of that unity bullshit?" he asked sarcastically.

Gaara looked at Aiko, warning her not to shoot her mouth off.

She shut her opened mouth and rolled her eyes at the puppeteer and muttered under her breath, "Stupid idiotic asshole of a douche bag…"

"How fast can you run?" Sasori asked suddenly.

"Faster than you," she said coldly. "Why do you ask?"

"Curious…" he said, shaking his head. How women survived in heels three inches high, he would never know. "Don't your feet hurt?"

"Nope," she said, smirking.

Gaara asked, changing the subject, "Would you like to go eat? I haven't eaten yet."

Aiko brightened instantaneously. "Sure!"

Sasori sighed. "Sure… Whatever. Food. Great, I guess…"

Gaara nodded and headed towards a near-by restaurant with Aiko and Sasori in tow, the two of them silent for over ten seconds for the first time since they've met.

---

Aiko laughed as Sasori and Gaara mock fought with toothpick puppets and a tiny sand figure. Mini-Gaara made jutsu hand signs and up flooded a miniature tsunami of sand, crashing over the toothpick-puppets. Sasori frowned and his Mini-Sasori 'poisoned' Mini-Gaara. Mini-Gaara collapsed, but not before destroying Mini-Sasori with his Sand Burial technique. What got them to start this miniature battle? No one knows…

Aiko laughed and clapped at the tiny shinobi battle. "Brilliant!"

Sasori asked her, "What's your skill? You're the only untalented one here."

"Am not!" she protested. "Just because I'm not a puppet-obsessed genius or can control sand doesn't mean I'm not useful."

"Amuse me. What can you do, child?" Sasori asked.

"None of your business," Aiko answered him, smiling with a large, fake smile.

Three cakes were placed before them. Gaara thanked the waitress and took his spoon. "Dig in."

Aiko took her spoon, taking a test bite. "It's good!" She spotted a flash of sliver slapped Sasori's spoon down before it got to its goal. "Eat your own cake, bastard."

He scowled. "Bitch…"

She grinned at him. "Glad to be of service."

He asked slyly, "And the extents of that service are…"

She bristled and threw something at him, embarrassed. "Perverted bastard!"

"I was just asking," he shrugged as he dodged.

Gaara was silently eating Aiko's cake as she argued with Sasori. "Hey brat," Sasori said.

"What?"

"What happened to your cake?"

"HUH?!" Aiko looked down at the place where her chocolate and vanilla flavored cake used to be. She glared at Gaara. "You thief…"

He held up his spoon and said innocently, "Raccoon impulse."

"Don't bullshit me, Gaara," she muttered, stealing the remainder of his cake and taking a spoonful with a pout.

Gaara sighed and held out a spoonful of her stolen cake. "Here. Now give me a bit of mine."

She held out a spoonful of his cake, taking a bit of his spoon as he took a bite of hers. Gaara asked, "Happy now?"

"I'm not. I feel like a third wheel!" Sasori complained.

Aiko hushed him, "No one was asking you." She then sighed and rolled her eyes, switching Gaara's cake with his.

-NOTE-

Who has Whose Cake?

-Gaara: Aiko's Cake.

-Aiko: Sasori's Cake.

-Sasori: Gaara's Cake.

-End Note-

The three each took a bite of the cakes until there was none left. Sasori asked, "Where to next?"

Aiko grabbed their hands. "Come on! We still have lots of ground to cover."

Gaara and Sasori looked at each other and let Aiko drag them to god-knows-where.

---

Aiko pulled them up towards the outskirts of the village, where a certain closed-off area lay.

---

Where is this place? Hmm… I guess you'll just have to keep reading.


	4. Intentions and Mysteries

A/N: This certain chapter is dedicated to a girl that I met. I'm starting to think that she's that unknown figure I knew I was going to met but didn't know who she was…

Anyway! I feel like re-writing the other chapters. I dislike them so much… I'll do it when I finish. No use doing it when I have other things to do!

(Edit) Yeah. I figured the chapters were bullshit a few months ago. I just finally decided to fix the bullshit. And instead of starting the darker moments later on, I added one to the beginning of this chapter. The cliff thing? Yeah. It's not very good for a story like this.

Disclaimer: Say it Sasori! Just say it!

Sasori: The idiot writing this owns nothing. ESPECIALLY NOT ME!

:( Sasori-Dana is so mean. I'm hurt.

Sasori: (Doesn't care) Just get on with the stupid story!

---

Aiko stopped before a large, black door, barred and sealed. She furrowed her eyebrows. Why had she come here?

Sasori looked up and saw kanji carved on the door. "Mira?" he read.

"Umm… Yeah," she said, shaking her head. "I brought you here to tell you that it's off limits. No one in this village is allowed inside except for ninja to re-seal it."

That sparked his interest. "You seem to know it. What's inside? Why's it sealed?"

"That's none of your business!" she snapped, her mood sobering up and growing dark. "There's nothing inside. There's nothing for you to know about why it's sealed. All you need to know is that it's off limits." (Higurashi moment…)

"Why?"

Her icy glare suddenly silenced him. This place obviously had a negative effect on the girl.

Gaara placed his hand on her shoulder. "We need to leave here."

She just nodded, frowning blankly.

Sasori looked up at the door, his mind wrapping around the mystery surrounding it. He memorized its details. A silver rose was carved into the door, wrapped around what looked like a bloodied katana, its thorns looked like they were dripping with blood, red droplets staining the silver petals of the rose.

Gaara nudged Sasori, his hand still on the girl's shoulder. "Are you coming? This area is not good to be near."

"Yeah… Sure." He turned, snapping out of his thoughts. "Where next?"

"Home," Aiko answered once the black door was out of sight. "I have things to do. Missions to complete. Can't waste my time up here." She motioned for both Sasori and Gaara. "Come on!" She was obviously anxious to get away as soon as possible.

Gaara followed Aiko down towards the busier parts of the village, leaving a curious Sasori following behind.

---

Sasori lay on his bed in his new room, staring at the ceiling in his train of thought. _What was with that door today? She obviously knows something about it, judging from her actions once we were there. That's one hell of a design etched onto a door that's sealing nothing and means nothing when it's off limits and has to be re-sealed over time. What is 'Mira'? What connection does it have to that brat? _He frowned at the questions circling his head. That door definitely has some very confidential secrets about it. He could assume that they were not secrets that most would want to encounter.

A soft knocking was heard at his door.

Sasori called over his shoulder, "Come in!"

In came the Kazekage.

Sasori frowned. Now what? "Yes, _sir_?" He muttered, acid dripping off that one word.

"There is no need to be rude, Sasori," Gaara tartly told him.

Sasori turned to look at him. "Of course not. I'm just held against my will." He sighed when he got no response from the other redhead. "What do you want?"

"I just wished to speak casually. As…" Gaara thought. "Friends, is it?"

Sasori mentally sighed and gestured his bed. "Have a seat, Kazekage." He sat down on a chair himself.

Gaara hesitated before awkwardly sitting down on Sasori's bed.

_Stupid idiot. I see right through you._ Sasori scoffed inwardly. _You only want to make these idiotic attempts at friendship because of my grandmother's will. Give up, Gaara. It's not working._

"How are you managing with Kankuro?" Gaara muttered, trying to start a conversation.

Sasori almost laughed in Gaara's face. _'How's work?' Ha!_ "Fine. I'm doing fine constructing puppets… It's my trade."

Gaara nodded.

"How about you as Kazekage?" Sasori asked, "How is it?"

"It's long and tiresome, but I shouldn't complain," he admitted uncomfortably.

Sasori ignored Gaara's obvious discomfort and asked, "Why not? Everyone else seems to bitch about everything, why can't you complain about your job?"

Gaara looked at him strangely. "No. If I complain, the elders would be more than happy to rip my title from me. They've never been trusting of me in the first place."

Sasori snorted. "Fuck them. Do whatever the hell you like when you're on your own. Complain every once in a while. Do something incredibly stupid and let no one know what you did. Skip a day of work." Sasori added lightly, "Following all of the rules is unhealthy."

"So is breaking them all," he contradicted.

"Look at that. We're extremes of the same situation," the Puppeteer chuckled.

Gaara shook his head at Sasori. "Why do you try so hard to go against us? We only want to help."

"In that case," Sasori answered, "Why do you try so hard to help me? It's obviously not working."

"You were once a very good citizen. I am absolutely positive there is the ghost of that person lying within you."

"You're doing a rather terrible job at bringing it out then."

"I'll succeed."

"I can bet you won't," Sasori countered.

Gaara glared. "I won't be stood up. I can change you."

"Prove it," Sasori challenged.

"You'll see. In time, you will never be the same criminal again," he promised him.

Sasori snorted. "So determined."

"Extremely so." Gaara stood up. "Well… Would you rather I leave or stay?"

"You can do whatever you want, Gaara. I'd let you know if you were bothering me." _You bother me every single damn moment I'm near you. You all piss me off! All of you damn people!_ Sasori said to himself mentally.

Gaara asked Sasori, "Would you care to spar?"

He shrugged. "I need a puppet."

"Simple. There are thousands of prototypes in the basement. We are not aiming to kill the other, right?"

"Of course not," Sasori lied smoothly. _I would just love to turn you, that Hikaru bastard, and the brat into puppets for my collection!_

Gaara stood and walked out, pausing for a moment. "Are you coming or not?"

"One second." Sasori swiped his ring off the dresser's sand-colored surface. "I'm coming."

Gaara nodded as Sasori stopped behind him. The guys walked downstairs to Kankuro's storage.

---

_Slink!_

A fresh corpse fell to the ground, dead.

Aiko pulled her dagger out of the fallen ninja's neck, quickly pulling her mask and black vest out of her sack, hurriedly concealing her face and putting on her vest. She worked quietly, snapping her weapon belt back into place and hiding a few other weapons in her clothes. She cleaned the blood from her dagger and the corpse's throat and bandaged it in one quick movement. The kunochi signaled for her teammate and Hikaru came running silently in, slinging the victim over his back. The two of them ran out of the building, concealed by shadows. Aiko and Hikaru dared to not say a word. Soon, they were on their way out of the tiny, insignificant town and heading home towards Sunagakure.

Halfway into the journey, when they were sure that the coast was clear, Hikaru asked Aiko, "What did Gaara say we do with the traitor's body?"

"I think he said to bring it to the medicinal district for a biopsy and examination."

"Alright," Hikaru nodded.

Aiko frowned. "Hikaru?"

"Yeah?"

She sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to deal with Sasori. He's really giving us a hard time."

Hikaru shrugged. "I only see him while he works. I must admit, the man is truly a puppetry genius."

"Ever heard that all geniuses are or eventually go crazy?"

Hikaru teased, "Then you're half-way there."

She playfully gasped and held her hand to her chest. "I'm deeply offended, Hikaru. You wound me. You really hurt my feelings."

"You'll live," he laughed.

She grinned mischievously at him. "If I die, I'm going to haunt you forever."

"Yeah. Sure." Hikaru looked at her disbelievingly.

Aiko rolled her eyes and looked ahead. "Pay attention. We're almost home."

"Home. That really sounds nice right about now."

Aiko covered her mouth with her palm, yawning. "I know! Working as a Ninja _and_ a babysitter for an ex-convict has me nuts! I don't get any beauty rest anymore."

Hikaru poked her in the side. "Like sleep could do **you** any good."

Aiko's mouth fell open. She slapped Hikaru's shoulder. "That was so mean! I'm offended!"

He just laughed.

---

A/N: End of Chapter Three! Sasori shows his true colors, Gaara tries to make friendly with the puppeteer, and Aiko is apparently great friends with Hikaru. And she has no problems with killing that guy… How mean can you get!?

A: Hey! That was for a mission! I only do what I'm told to do. (Turns away, sticking her nose in he air)

Whatever. Shame, shame on you.

A: Shut up… You're the one that writes this crap…

S: Whatever! I'm ending the note here! You two could go on forever!

Hey wai—

-Sasori Ends Note Against her Will-


	5. Squishy Muffin Time!

A/N: CHAPTER FOUR PEOPLE! Sorry it took so long!!! To make up for the time, it'll be the longest chapter yet! It took hours of System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, Bon Jovi, Muse, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Ne-Yo, and, most importantly, my doggie-baby Snoopy to finish this chapter.

Disclaimer:

Aiko: All of _Naruto_'s respective characters and storyline belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Not the bubbly retard.

Hey! That's offensive!

---

Sasori and Gaara stood a few feet from the other. Temari and Kankuro sat perched safely on a rooftop. Temari smirked, confident, "Gaara's totally going to win."

"I don't know… That Sasori is some tough guy. And Gaara's weaker after the Shukaku withdrawal. "

"Want to bet on it?"

"Definitely. Sasori will win."

"Whatever," Temari held out her hand. "Gaara will kick his ass."

Kankuro shook it. "Loser does the winner's bidding for a month."

"Deal." The siblings went back to watching the start of the spar.

Sasori's fingers only twitched and Gaara took to the skies, riding a cloud of sand. Sasori swirled a cloak of black over himself and disappeared from the fight. His makeshift puppet creaked as its long-unused joints were put to use. It shot straight at Gaara, its intent to kill. Gaara pulled up a barrier of sand. _Where did Sasori go? _The puppet crashed into the barrier of sand, clawing at it.

Sasori grimaced when he saw this. _Damn him with his sand barriers. Maybe… _Sasori got an idea. He pulled back the puppet and made it run in a circle under Gaara as a feint attack.

Gaara took the bait and released his barrier, moving away from the area. Sasori pulled his puppet up at lightning speed, attacking Gaara. Gaara formed a sand spear and threw it at the puppet, hitting it on the head and forcing it to fall back. Sasori growled at this and forced the puppet back up, devising a strategy in his head.

Aiko slipped in a seat beside Kankuro and Temari along with Hikaru. Hikaru asked, "Are they just sparring or do me and midget have to go break it up?"

Aiko glared at him and pinched his side.

Temari answered, her eyes never leaving the match, "They're just sparring. Don't worry."

Aiko looked bored. She yawned and slumped over, resting her elbow on her thigh. "They're boring…"

Hikaru smirked. "Should we push you in with your chakra locked? Left to fend for yourself with only your Taijutsu?"

Aiko shot him a look and hit Hikaru. "That's mean! You suck, Hikaru!"

He laughed and grabbed her wrists. "Calm down, small one. I was kidding."

Aiko stuck her tongue out at him and sat pouting.

Kankuro told her, "You're annoying when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Hit whenever someone makes fun of you."

Aiko shook her head. "No! I only reserve the tactic for Hikaru!"

Hikaru replied dryly, "Thanks… I feel special."

"Let's just shut up and watch the spar," Temari told them, getting annoyed with their arguing.

Sasori's puppet lunged for Gaara in a blur. The Kazekage just barely raised a barrier in time. Sasori smirked as the puppet's right arm pierced through the other side and knocked on Gaara's skull. Sasori stood below and called up, "It's my win, Gaara."

Gaara scowled but floated down and stood before Sasori. They looked at each other for a moment before Gaara smiled. "You did well."

"What else did you expect?" Sasori asked, raising a brow. "I'm only the best."

Aiko called, "CONCEITED!"

Sasori looked up. "The brat returned, eh?"

Aiko snorted. "The one and only."

"Oh, so he's allowed to call you names, but I'm not?" Hikaru asked her.

She ignored him. "I was scared that you escaped and were attacking the kazekage. It sure looked like it!"

Sasori snorted. "He'd be dead by now if I were serious."

"Funny, Sasori. Very funny," Gaara said dryly. "You make me sound like I'm weak."

"Not weak," Sasori shrugged. "Just not stronger than me."

Gaara called to his siblings, "Go back inside, we're turning in."

Kankuro grinned as he looked at Temari. "Carry me to my room, slave."

Temari growled, "Not on your life."

"A bet's a bet."

"Fuck you," she said simply.

Gaara said, "You need to honor your word, Temari."

Temari glared at Kankuro and crouched down as he gleefully jumped onto her back. "To your room, m-ma" Temari shuddered. "Master?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he taunted, grinning at her.

Temari sulked off with Kankuro on her back.

Aiko and Hikaru watched as they walked off. Hikaru commented, "Kankuro sure is happy."

"With Temari's abuse, you could imagine why," Gaara chuckled.

Sasori looked at Aiko expectantly.

"What?" she asked. "Can't get to your own room without me to hold your hand?"

"For your information," he said, leaning to her level, "I'm trying to be on my best behavior. Or can't the mini-person comprehend that?"

Aiko hissed, "I am ten times as intellectual as you could ever aspire to be, simpleton. Do not make fancy the thought of wasting my energies and breath on your pitiful death, convict."

Sasori tossed his head back and laughed. "So you _do_ know a few impressive words, brat!"

Aiko tensed in anger, clutching her fist. "Shut up."

"Why? I'm fi—"

Gaara cut in. "Sasori, stop. Aiko, take him up to his quarters and then go to sleep. You had a long mission tonight and you need to be alert and ready for an future assignments."

Aiko relaxed and bowed to him. "Yes, Kazekage-Sama."

Sasori just looked off, bored.

She stood back up and headed off towards the mansion, shooting a glance at Sasori for the puppeteer to follow.

Sasori followed, eyes bored and biting the inside of his cheek.

"They're quite the handful, Kazekage-Sama," Hikaru said sympathetically.

Gaara sighed. "They are."

"You should retire for the night, sir."

"I will, Hikaru-San. After my nightly rounds."

Hikaru offered, "I'll take them over, Gaara-Sama."

"No. They're my duty. Only I can do this."

"…" Hikaru was skeptical.

Gaara looked at him. "You're dismissed, Hikaru."

"Yes, sir…" He went off.

Gaara began his rounds, walking through the town.

---

Sasori watched Aiko as she walked. He said suddenly, "You like the Kazekage, don't you?"

She bristled, eyes widening.

He smirked. "I knew it."

"I said nothing," she snapped.

Sasori teased, "Your reaction said it all, Brat."

Aiko glared at him. "Just shut up and follow."

"Yes, warden," he said sarcastically.

Aiko rolled her eyes and ignored him as she continued walking.

Sasori looked at her, seeming to be concentrating on something.

Aiko slowly turned red and felt self-conscious at his gaze. "Can I help you!?" she snapped, twirling around.

"Actually, I was wondering about something," he frankly told her.

"What?"

Sasori rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Your thigh length… it's less than 35 cm, right? It's confusing because judging from the size of your ass…"

She was seething. "Listen, you! Stop looking at my ass! Stop calculating my body size! I'm getting sick of you!"

"Child, you're not my cup of tea either," he retorted like he was stating a fact.

"Then make the time less painful," she snapped. "Leave me alone, and I'll do the same."

He frowned. "What's the fun in that? Bothering and pissing you off has become my new hobby."

She tensed, about to say something, before deciding against it and turning around, storming off towards his room.

Sasori quickened his pace slightly. "You're not that hard to keep up with, small one."

Aiko ignored him, looking only ahead.

He laughed. "The silent treatment? I know your type. You'll snap less than a day."

Aiko refused to respond to him. She stopped at his room, opened his door, and waited silently for him to enter.

Sasori stood there.

Aiko just looked at the wall, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sasori informed her, "I'm not going in until you bid me a good night."

She turned and walked towards her room.

"Stubborn brat…" Sasori muttered as he walked into his room, closing his door.

---

Once Aiko was in her room, she threw off her mission jacket, kicked off her zori, and pulled the needles out of her hair. "Stupid, sarcastic little fuck…" she muttered, running her fingers back through her hair. "I need air." She pushed open the doors of her balcony and leaned against the banister. She wore no shirt, just the linen bandages she used to cover her womanly areas. The only articles of cloth clothing that she actually wore were the loose black pants that ballooned at the holes for her legs and her black gloves. She stretched out, pronouncing the black lined tattoo of Sunagakure's ninja symbol on her side, just above her waist.

The kunochi sighed and basked in the moonlight, smiling when she saw the glittering assurance of the stars above her. Aiko reached above her, jumping to grab the doorframe of the entry to her room. She hoisted herself onto the edge, and jumped onto the roof softly. She winced at the painful blast of heat on her sensitive bare soles, but sighed in relief as the pain numbed while she walked across the roof. She looked to the stars, finding a place of her satisfaction and sat down.

"Lovely night, isn't it?" Sasori asked.

Aiko jumped. "What are you doing here?!"

"Aha! I was right. You didn't even last two hours."

She glared. "I thought I left you at your room."

"But that room is so stuffy and boring. I'd much rather escape to look at the everlasting art that lies above us at the moment."

"Huh?" Aiko asked, looking clueless.

"The stars, brat. The sky," he sighed.

She asked suspiciously, "Why would _you_ like the night sky?"

Sasori replied, looking up, "I'm an artist, brat. I may seem like a criminal, but in fact am an artist at heart." He chuckled curtly. "Art is a misunderstood and misperceived part of daily beauty."

"What?" she asked. He confused and exasperated her with his words.

"I told you that you were stupid," he muttered.

She glared.

Sasori tried, "My puppets. The way I create them you would find them cruel and sadistic, but do you see the finished piece? Each one is a careful piece of weaponry art. Everlasting and practical, but still art." He added, "In a way."

"So you admit you're crazy?"

He laughed. "I never denied it. All I'm saying is that I'm misunderstood."

"Suuure," she said sarcastically.

"Look at it this way," he told her. "I only pursue the art form that I love most. In a practical sense, that's normal. However, _what_ I pursue is unconventional. In truth, we're all antagonists at heart."

"You sure that's not just your twisted way of thinking?" Aiko asked.

He smirked at her. "No. It isn't." Sasori explained, "We all wish things that would be considered wrong and immoral by humane standards. However, what is morale? Ninjas, such as yourself, kill and murder all the time. That is considered the largest sin by moral standards, but is made right by using the excuse that we are only defending our village. Did you ever consider the other side? Who are they fighting for? Why are they fighting? Well… That's but one point in my argument." He looked up to the sky, sliding down until he was lying on the clay roof, looking to the moon.

"A normal village girl goes on her day like any other. She's in love with a man. However, this man is in love with another. The initial girl feels some sort of resentment, right?"

Aiko nodded, listening to what he had to say.

"That's a sin. Envy. Then she goes on to pretend that she doesn't care and she doesn't secretly wish that the other girl would burn in hell for eternity. That's rather much like lying. We have three sins. Murder. Envy. False witness."

"Go on," Aiko encouraged, intrigued by his speech.

"We also have days when we just want to lounge and do nothing, even when we have errands to run. That's sloth, brat. Also, those sexual urges that people get, even when they're with another. Adultery. Desire. I could list on and on. Truth is, even by our own standards, humans are the most immoral and unjust species that walks these nations." Sasori looked at her and asked Aiko, "Am I so criminal now? A person with no useless morale standards whom lives by his desire to achieve the most immortal and beautiful work of art that this world has seen?"

She stayed silent, absorbing the impact of his words. "Why do you kill people just to make them into puppets?" she asked quietly.

"Because their abilities are useful to my army. Only I have the ability to turn a person into a puppet and still harness their abilities from life. Why shouldn't I use my talent?"

"Well… That's true, but why not try a little restraint?"

He replied, "Why waste what I was born with? It's like a person with the most potent healing chakra, refusing to ever use it. You may try to counter it, but it's pretty much the same concept," Sasori argued before she could say anything.

"Okay… So you've got a point," Aiko admitted.

Sasori's eyes quickly scanned her before looking back up.

"What?" she asked.

He told her, "Interesting choice of clothes."

She blushed. "I thought I would be alone up here."

"Don't worry. It's not a bad thing."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Sasori looked at her with lazy eyes. "I am man and artistic enough to appreciate all I see and perceive."

"And here I thought you thought I was repulsive," she grumbled.

"Not repulsive. Annoying and childish," he teased.

Aiko rolled her eyes and cradled her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them, holding her legs in place. She subtly shivered involuntarily.

Sasori's experienced eyes didn't miss her shiver. "Cold, brat?"

"No…" she lied, rubbing her arms.

"Liar," he snorted.

"So I'm a little cold. Sue me," she muttered.

Sasori stood up, pulling Aiko up by her arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Escorting you to your room."

"Why?!" She exclaimed.

"Because I don't enjoy the thought of you catching cold up here," he answered, practically carrying her to her room.

Aiko shut up and let him lead (carry) her to her room.

He jumped down onto her balcony and let go of her arm.

Aiko walked into her room, waving to him. "Good night, Sasori."

He ignored her and walked into the room, looking around.

"Umm…" she laughed. "Sasori, I said goodnight."

"And I'm ignoring you."

Aiko frowned as she watched him inspect her room. "Having fun?"

"Loads," Sasori retorted, running his hand across her dresser surface. "You don't seem to have many cosmetics…"

"I hate make-up," she told him, sitting on her bed.

"Not a lot of girlish colors either."

Aiko shrugged. "I'm not much of a girly-person."

"Why not?" he inquired.

"I'm just not." Aiko told him, "People don't always have a reason for everything, you know. I happen to not have a reason for disliking most girlish fetishes other than I just don't like it."

"True…" he said, half-heartedly paying attention as he moved along her room.

She lay down on her bed and said, "Sasori… Please. I'm tired."

---False, just for kicks, Scene---

_He turned to her. "You shouldn't be."_

"_Why not?" Aiko asked._

"_Because, I'm not finished with you."_

"_What?" she asked, sitting upright._

_He picked up a dropped cloth and buried his nose in it. "Didn't I tell you on the roof the main sins that man commits?"_

"_What about that...?" She asked, crawling backwards, away from him._

_Sasori groaned. "I need to ejaculate."_

"_Umm… What?"_

"_Ejaculate!" he snapped. "I need something to have sex with!"_

"_Hey, hey! Not me!" Aiko said, panicked._

"_Yes, you." He looked at her with solemn eyes. She could read the message._

"_Come here!"_

--- Yeah right! Back to business! ---

"Fine. I'll leave. First, entertain me an answer to a question."

She looked at him from under her arm. "I'm listening."

"When did you get that tattoo?"

"Hmm?" Aiko looked at her waist. "Oh. That. Umm… I got that a while ago. All the women in my clan are branded with it."

"And the men?"

"They get a smaller one on their shoulder blades. It shows loyalty to the village."

He walked over and traced the lines with his finger, deep in thought.

Aiko blushed. "Umm…Can you not do that? It's tattooed in a rather… intimate place where I'd rather not be touched near…"

"Lord," he muttered. "You most definitely are a virgin."

"Hey! My virginity is none of your business! Out!" she commanded, blushing.

"Have you even kissed a man?" he asked, amused.

"None," she seethed. "Of your business."

He laughed as he walked out. "That would be a no." Sasori turned and before he closed the door, he said to her, "Goodnight, Brat."

"Night, Bastard," she grumbled, settling into her sheets.

He smiled before closing the door and walking to his room. Sasori opened the door and went inside, growling once he was safely in the sanction of his room. That stupid, stupid brat. He was supposed to be planning, but she forced a full-blown psychology speech on the reasons why he did what he did. Above all, he wanted escape more than anything. He wanted to bask on his own. He hated this village! Why must it try to trap him so constantly? He wanted nothing to do with the place.

Sasori angrily grabbed his cloak. Why the hell did she have to tempt his lighter side? She was a great target for his malicious teasing but she could tempt and expose his intentions. _That brat is dangerous,_ he decided. She would need surveillance.

---

A few hours later, when Sasori decided she must be asleep, he slipped out into the night. Sasori ran across the roof, silent as death itself. He stealthily dropped onto the balcony without a sound and slipped through the doors to her room. He walked over to her bed, watching the thin sheets rise and fall with the girl's steady, soft breathing.

Sasori sat on the nightstand beside her bed and glared at her for a few seconds before faltering.

She was curled into a tight ball, arms embracing her chest, clutching to the sides of her arms. She made no sound. She only occasionally twitched in silent aversion of her dreaming.

Sasori loomed over her sleeping figure. "What are you dreaming of, small one?"

"You shouldn't be outside your room, Sasori."

Sasori looked up and saw Gaara standing in the doorway of the balcony. "Good evening, Kazekage-Sama."

"What are you doing in her room?" he demanded.

Sasori said bitterly, "That, sir, is confidential to you."

"Get out," he commanded.

"What are you doing in here?" Sasori asked, ignoring Gaara's command.

"That's my line."

"Answer my question."

"If you won't answer me, I refuse to answer you."

Sasori glared at Gaara. "I'm not leaving."

"Then I'll force you to," Gaara said, a cloud of sand rising from his gourd.

Sasori ran his hand along the length of Aiko's curled body. He pulled up his hand and Aiko's body rose as if attached to strings.

"Leave her be, Sasori. This conflict is between you and I."

"Then she's an extremely unfortunate pedestrian," he said simply.

Gaara wavered.

Sasori laughed. "She's your weak point, isn't she?" He pulled Aiko into his arms. "What would you do if I did…" he leaned over her, looming over her face, lips only centimeters away. "This."

"Get. Away," Gaara commanded him.

"No thank you."

_Slap! _"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" Aiko growled sleepily.

Sasori's head twisted slightly. "Oww…"

"Out. Both of you out… I'm tired…" Aiko muttered, almost falling asleep.

Sasori lay her back down and waited as Gaara crossed the room, glaring at the puppet master as he walked past. The two left as Aiko collapsed onto the pillows, falling asleep instantly.

---

Aiko yawned and stretched as she walked into the kitchen. She sat down on the stool and grabbed a muffin, chewing on it absentmindedly. "Strange dream…" She muttered.

---

Sasori and Gaara crossed paths again as they were on their way to the kitchen. They glared at each other before Sasori said, "Don't mention last night's conflict if she doesn't remember."

"What do you care?" Gaara asked.

"I'm afraid to say that I can't tell you," Sasori replied.

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing, sir. I just have a few strings to pull into place," Sasori lied smoothly.

Gaara turned. "You're lying. I will expose you."

_Oh no, Kazekage-Sama. My plan is great. Beyond your comprehension and skill level. You won't discover me until the plan is gone and carried out._ Sasori thought cockily. He followed Gaara downstairs to the kitchen, chuckling when he saw a passed out Kunochi with a muffin squashed onto her forehead.

---

A/N: (Dies) Three thousand, four hundred and seventy-six words. GAH!

Aiko: Is she having a seizure?

Sasori: Can we poke her?

Gaara: Umm… I think so and (Shrugs) why not?

Aiko, Sasori, and Gaara: (Poke) (Poke)

-_-'''


	6. Parties and Conflicting Turns

07:05

A/N: … PARTY!

Warning: OOC-Ness may happen during the party. This is a product of high amounts of sugar and possibly, in most of their cases, underage consumption of alcohol brought on by the inability to think logically due to hyperactivity. There's also a future chance of nudity, guys and girls possibly making out, and child-scarring mental images. Rating will be raised to M. I apologize beforehand. This is also a very long and quite possibly fun chapter. A few inspirations taken from xX Twilight-Hime Xx's birthday party.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not a product of my imagination and all respective characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

---

Gaara shook Aiko awake. "Mira-San, wake up."

Aiko mumbled some inaudible words and swatted at him. "Mmmnnnmm."

Sasori sat down and picked at an apple he picked up. "Look at that, Kazekage-Sama, the brat sleepwalked naked into the kitchen," he commented.

Aiko jumped up. "Hmmm? What?"

Sasori smirked at Gaara, an eyebrow raised. "She's not that hard to tick."

Gaara muttered, "Shut up and leave my ninjas alone. They're not your toys."

Aiko yawned and stretched. "Good Morning, Kazekage-Sama and Sasori." She cocked her eyebrows in confusion and poked her forehead. "EWWW!!! What is it?!" she demanded, scratching the gooey mess off.

Sasori grabbed a piece and tasted it. "Hmm. That is one rather tasty muffin."

Aiko glared and stormed away, throwing the remains of her squashed muffin in the trash.

Kankuro came downstairs. "Gaara,"

"Yes?" Gaara asked, grabbing a glass of milk from the refrigerator.

"I think this house needs a party," he said bluntly.

Gaara looked at him strangely, "What?"

"A party! Loosening up type-event," he encouraged.

Sasori thought about it. "I agree with the boy. All of you pathetic ninjas are much too tightly wound."

Kankuro snapped at Sasori, "Just 'cause you're some sorta genius, doesn't mean you can talk like that about us, got it?"

Sasori only narrowed his eyes at Kankuro. "I'll kill you."

Gaara hushed them both, "I will not sponsor a large party in the sanction of my own home."

Kankuro snorted. "I never said it had to be one of those fancy high-class parties with lots 'o chicks and people and stuff. You just need a day off. Got it?"

Gaara sighed. "How many people?"

"Me, Temari, You, Sasori, Aiko, Hikaru, and maybe a few Konoha people."

"Name those few," Gaara ordered.

"The Hyuugas, Ten-Ten, Lee, Umm… Naruto and his crew are on missions," Kankuro counted off. "Definitely that Nara guy. Tem would kill me if I invited everyone but him. Yamanaka, that big guy… what's-his-face."

"Please no foreign ninjas," Gaara said. "If there is going to be a party it must be small and limited."

Kankuro laughed. "You're just mad Naruto can't make it."

Gaara shook his head. "I am upset Naruto would not make it, but still. I need small, not large and chaotic."

Sasori grew bored and threw his apple at Kankuro. "Throw that out for me, won't you, kid?" he asked as he walked out.

Kankuro mimicked him before tossing the apple into the trash. "Stupid asshole…"

"Agreed," Gaara sighed.

"What's his problem anyway? The guy got his period?" he snickered.

The Kazekage chuckled. "It wouldn't surprise me."

"So, how about all of us in the house can have a small informal thing," Kankuro finally suggested.

Gaara considered it before nodding. "Ok."

---

"Pass me that, will you?"

Temari passed Aiko the apple she pointed out. They had left the house for some much needed girl-time and were preparing for a bit of shopping. Never going towards obsessive spending. Temari asked her, "Which store should we visit first?"

"Maybe the clothes shop," Aiko replied, swallowing her bite. "It's best we leave the fun store last."

She laughed, "The weapons shop?"

"You know it," the smaller kunochi grinned. "Plus, my mission clothes are almost worn out."

"Why can't clothes be as durable as weapons?" Temari muttered.

Aiko said teasingly, "To spite us, dear." They laughed. Aiko wrinkled her nose. "Why's that puppet-obsessed psycho coming this way?"

"Which one?" Temari joked.

"The evil one," Aiko laughed.

Sasori raised his brow at their laughing as he stopped before them.

Aiko looked up at him. "Yes, Sasori?"

"The boy and Kazekage sent me to tell you that they have thought up of a sort of informal party evening. All residents of the Kazekage manor must apparently attend," he explained.

Temari and Aiko winced. "We should get home soon," Temari said hesitantly. "Before my brothers destroy the house."

"Agreed."

Sasori began to walk away. "Where are you going?" Temari demanded.

He shrugged. "Home, maybe?"

"And why the hell did those idiots let you out of the house without telling me?" Aiko interrogated.

"Who knows?" Sasori asked them, "May I leave? I hate looking at this…" He looked around with disgust. "Sorry excuse of a village."

The girls looked at each other. "That's three sins, Temari."

Temari nodded solemnly. "He must be properly punished."

Sasori glared at them and sneered, "What are you twits chattering about?"

Aiko declared, "AS PUNISHMENT FOR FOUR ALEGDED SINS, YOU MUST COME WITH US ON OUR SHOPPING PORTION OF THE DAY!"

"What four sins?!" Sasori demanded.

"One, interrupting our picnic," Temari counted off, "two, going out of the mansion unsupervised, three, offending the village of Sunagakure, and four, calling us twits."

Aiko and Temari grabbed his arms before he could run, dragging the protesting puppeteer towards the shopping district.

---

Sasori growled, "I hope you both know that once I find a way to escape, I'll kill you in slow painful deaths?"

"Mm hmm…" Aiko said, paying no heed to his words. She turned to Temari. "What do you think of this shawl? I need casual wear too."

"You should try something better for you," Temari cautioned.

"Thanks."

Sasori grumbled. Not only did they kidnap him into this god-forsaken store, but were also ignoring him completely. He glared daggers at them, hoping that one of them broke a stupid nail or something. He looked at the ceiling in sheer boredom, hoping to just disappear. God this would be more fun if he could get the brat's attention from her stupid clothes and tease her for a good, long minute at least. She was always good for that.

Temari and Aiko hurried to go try on their clothes after a brisk word of warning to Sasori for him to stay and not run off. He stood there, flirting with blushing teenage girls with just his eyes. They giggled and hid behind their scarves, but stopped and glared when they apparently saw something they did not find to their liking.

Aiko called to Sasori, "Get over here! Me and Temari need a third opinion!"

He rolled his eyes and reluctantly trudged to them. "Yes, brat?"

"Judge our clothes! Do they look nice? Do they make us look fat? What do you think?"

Sasori looked at them briskly. Temari, the modest one at the very least, wore a black skirt that came to her ankles with a lavender colored shirt. She wore a purple and red obi on her waist with a grin on her face. He noted to her, "You look better than usual, at least."

Aiko sighed. He couldn't have thought of a better compliment?

Temari twitched and maintained her grin forcefully. "Charming."

Sasori snorted. "You should brace yourself, brat."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Because you look like a tiny little stick in clothes that are much, much too big for her. The clothes make you look even shorter than usual."

Aiko glared. "Thanks for the note, Sasori," she said dryly.

"Better I told you than anyone else," he defended.

Aiko went around, looking for a different outfit.

The girls from before smiled in relief. He didn't have a girlfriend, obviously. They giggled again when he looked at them. He turned his gaze searching, watching them. They shivered in delight when they felt his gaze. It made them feel exposed, in the good way.

Temari told him curtly, "If you're done trying to seduce innocent girls, your judging services are required."

He grumbled and looked at Aiko, "What, irritating brat?"

She said sarcastically, "Sorry for being such a bother."

"You don't mean that."

"Of course not, genius," she muttered. "Okay, you can make kissy faces at those girls after you're done."

"Turn," he ordered in boredom as she complied without complaint. She looked a bit better. "What's with you and your sadistic torture?" he asked, irritated.

Aiko smiled sweetly, "Love you too, Psycho-Dear."

"Bitch."

"Bastard."

He muttered, "You're the strange one… Anyway," he looked at her for a short moment.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

Sasori said, "You look like… meh. You'll do." He turned to Temari. "Can we leave now?"

She threw her boot at him angrily.

Sasori caught it before it hit him and handed it to her. "I'm being serious. This is so much of a bother."

Aiko grumbled and went to change before coming back out. "Happy?" She snapped at him.

"A bit," he shrugged.

Temari grabbed the clothes and went to pay.

---

The three of them made their way through the streets of Sunagakure, Aiko and Sasori occasionally exchanging words of disgust directed towards the other. Temari rubbed her head to ward off an incoming migraine. "Will you two shut up?"

Sasori glared at Aiko. "She started it."

"Me?" she laughed dryly. "I don't think so, psycho."

"Senile bitch."

"Sadistic bastard," she retorted.

"Midget."

"Hun, you shouldn't speak to me about height. You're a shortie for a guy."

Sasori mused her hair. "As long as I'm taller than you, I'll call you whatever I please."

She bit him.

"BITCH!" he cursed, "What the hell was that for?!"

Aiko stuck her tongue out at him. "For being an asshole."

Temari yelled. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP OR SO HELP YOU KAMI, I—"

"Okay, okay…" Aiko said, holding her hands up in defense.

The rest of the walk home was in silence. Finally, they reached the doors of the Kazekage manor. Temari almost screamed when she saw the mess in the hall. "GAARA! KANKURO!"

Both of them froze in the next room. Kankuro reluctantly peered into the front hall. "Y-yea?"

"What the hell is it with this fucking mess?!" Temari demanded.

"Umm… I'll clean it up in a second… Gaara? How about you take the girls' bags up?"

Gaara scurried into the room and grabbed the bags, dashing upstairs. Kankuro started picking up the mess on the floor. Aiko and Temari sat in the kitchen, talking about what they should do for tonight. Sasori went upstairs to his room.

Temari looked at Aiko. "Ai?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't trust Sasori."

Aiko sighed. "Neither do I…" She looked off. "I had a really weird dream last night…"

"What happened?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I remember Sasori and Gaara in my room, glaring at each other. I was in Sasori's arms and he was bent towards me, like he was going to kiss me, but I slapped him away and then the dream faded…"

Temari frowned. "That doesn't sound good."

Aiko buried her face in her arms. "I… I can't let him know, but…" Aiko looked around nervously. "I'm afraid of Sasori… I keep getting the feeling that he's going to kill me at any moment." The girl shivered involuntarily. "It's like he's just going to snap and stab us all to death before running away…"

The other kunochi said to her, "Even I don't think he's that stupid."

"That's the point, Temari. He's not stupid!" Aiko looked panicked. "He always looks like he's planning something and… and… I get the feeling that what he wants, he'll get."

"You're just being paranoid, maybe we really do need this party…"

Aiko looked out the window of the kitchen and whispered under her breath, "I hope you're right, Tem… I honestly hope you're right…"

---

Sasori smirked. So then she really was afraid of him. He looked around at his room and walked to a wall, taking out a tile and examining the contents of the tiny compartment: A small scroll, a few mini-screwdrivers, and a vial the size of half his thumb. The puppeteer rolled the vial in his palm, musing to himself. He had planned the child's death many times in his mind, all of them being in haste, but this time was different. No… He wouldn't be in a hurry to leave. He had time to kill. Sasori watched as the jaws of a plant came through his wall. "Zetsu."

"Sasori," he greeted back.

Sasori sat on his bed. "Any news so far?"

Zetsu nodded. "We've captured all of the hosts' beasts except for two. Deidara committed suicide during a battle with Itachi's younger brother. I've already told you that Hidan and Kazuku both died…"

"I knew Deidara's downfall would be his obsession," Sasori muttered after hearing the details of his old partner's death. "Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Pein doesn't want you to hurry. He wants to call on you later on."

He nodded. "I'll signal when I escape from here."

Zetsu faded back into the shadows.

Sasori lay back in his bed, rethinking his entire plan for escape for a few hours before he was called down. He twitched in irritation when he saw all sorts of sweets and treats laid out on the floor, with his three other housemates in the center of it all. Aiko called to him, scooting over. She obviously changes moods easily…

He sighed and walked over, sitting with them.

"Can I have a cookie now?" Aiko asked impatiently. "I did what you told me to do."

Ahh. Now he understood. They were rewarding her for being nice to him.

Kankuro tossed her a cookie. The girl cried out, "COOKIE!!!" and began nibbling happily on the sweet.

"Retard…" he muttered under his breath.

Aiko chose to ignore him, happily occupied with her precious reward.

Gaara asked Temari, "What are we going to do?"

"Well… I was thinking we eat some of this crap first, then play a few party games," she said, letting down her hair.

Kankuro was already pouring himself some drinks. Sasori and Gaara followed suit and ate a few sweets. A few then became some, some became quite a bit, and quite a bit became a lot. Within the hour, everyone was already drunk on sugar.

Temari brought out the bottle, much happier and bolder than average. "We're gonna play some spin the bottle!"

Cheers went up all around. Aiko's hand shot up in determination. "I WANNA BE FIRST!"

Temari tossed her the bottle so the girl could place it on the ground and spin it. The bottle spun about eleven times before landing on Kankuro. "Kanky…" she grinned evilly.

"Yea?" he said, a bit worried because of the smile.

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he declared.

Aiko pointed at the freezer in the kitchen. "I dare you to pour ten bowls of ice into your pants. Two of those bowls have to be in your underpants."

He gasped. "Evil bitch!"

The girl grinned as everyone else laughed once Kankuro had all ten bowls in his pants. He shivered. "My balls are freezing…"

Sasori laughed. "Spin the bottle, kid."

Kankuro spun. It landed on Gaara. "Truth or Dare."

Gaara blinked and said, "Truth."

Kankuro grimaced. "Is it true that you sleep with your old blanket?"

"I don't sleep with it, but I huggles it when I'm sad," he said, frowning.

Aiko looked at him before squealing and hugging the Kazekage tightly, "AWWW! KAZEKAGE-SAMA!!!! (Cries) YOU'RE SO CUUUTE!!!!!"

Temari nodded, her eyes watery and fists clenched at her chest. "I'm proud to be your supportive older sister!!!"

Gaara blushed and took the bottle, spinning it. "…" It landed on Sasori. "Truth or dare?"

Sasori yawned. "Dare."

"I dare you to stand on your head for ten minutes," Gaara said.

Sasori did a simple headstand. Ten minutes later, he was at the bottle. He spun. It landed on Kankuro. "Truth or dare?"

Kankuro twitched. "Tr-tru-truth."

"Is it true that you're obsessed with your puppets?"

"No…" he said shiftily. "I am not…"

Aiko shot up. "LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Temari said frankly, "What'll be the punishment?"

Sasori said, "You girls have make up?"

Aiko shook her head, but Temari nodded. "Just a little bit, though."

"Good. Go get some."

Temari went upstairs and went to her room before coming back down a few minutes later. In her hands were simple creams, lip-paint, and such. Sasori took them from her before smearing lip-paint on Kankuro's forehead. The others caught wind of what he was doing and grabbed cosmetics to draw all over the poor guy's face. "COME ON!" Kankuro protested. "MY BALLS ARE ALREADY FREEZING OFF!"

They laughed and pulled away. Gaara snickered, "You look very pretty, Kankuro."

He glared at his brother. "Not funny." Kankuro grabbed the bottle and spun. It landed on Temari. "Truth or Dare?"

Temari wondered, "Hmm… I would pick dare, but then again… Whatever. Dare."

"I dare you to dare the next six people you dare to drink six cans of soda mixed with six spoons of extra sugar each and to do it with them."

Temari shrugged. "Okay." She spun and it landed on Aiko. "Truth or Dare?"

Aiko smiled. "Dare."

Temari twitched as she handed over the sodas and such. She prepared her own as well. When the sugar was poured and sodas opened, she looked at the other girl. "Bottoms up?"

She grinned. "You know it." Both girls chugged down the cans, listening to Kankuro, Gaara, and Sasori's 'Chug! Chug!' chants in the background. Aiko stood up and whooped, dancing around and wagging her hips when she finished before Temari. "HA! I WIN!" A cheer went up through the group. Aiko spun and it landed on Sasori. "Truth or Dare," she said with a glint.

He accepted the unvoiced challenge. "Dare. Give me your worst."

Aiko said, "I dare you to streak through Sunagakure. Two to five minutes."

"I'll do it," Sasori announced. "First hand me a few bottles of alcohol. Can't do this sober."

Gaara went to the cellar and grabbed the requested bottles, handing them to Sasori. "Have fun," he grimaced.

"I will," he said, uncorking the first bottle and taking a long swing from it. A few gulps later and he was tipsy. Sasori shook his head, musing to himself. "Hmm… Maybe a few more should do it…" A couple more gulps and the puppeteer was swinging. "BRING IT ON!" he slurred.

Aiko giggled and said, "Give us your clothes."

Sasori stripped down and tossed his clothes at the brunette. "See ya'll in a few minutes." He saluted them and ran out of the door into the night. All of the remaining people began laughing manically. It was, thankfully, midnight and very few people caught sight of the streaking redhead. He weaved through the streets, heading back a full three minutes later and standing in front of the manor five minutes after he left. "HA! I did it! Now gimme my stuff. I got sand in meh butt."

Aiko giggled madly, handing him his clothes back.

Sasori dressed as they all made their way back to their little circle. He took the bottle and spun. He grinned as it landed on Gaara. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," he said bluntly.

"I dare you to make that one," he indicated Aiko, "sit on your lap for the next eight spins."

"Okay. Not too bad." Gaara looked at Aiko, "Well…" She stood up and plopped down on the Kazekage's lap, blushing beet red. Gaara took the bottle, reached over the girl on his lap, and spun, landing on Temari. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you think that this game is getting a little old?"

Temari nodded. "I thinkers we should come back to it later."

Everyone else shrugged and nodded. Aiko asked, "What next?"

Kankuro ran to the bathroom and poured the half-melted ice out of his pants. He sighed in relief as he sat down.

Sasori said, "We should play 'Have you ever'."

Everyone else looked at each other and nodded. "Okay."

Aiko spoke up, "But I think that we should say things even if we've done it."

Temari said, "Pour the drinks, Sasori."

Sasori went to the kitchen, coming back later with five glasses. He set them all down, pouring some of the wine in each. Everyone grabbed respective glasses. He started. "I've never… Hmm…" he thought about it. "I've never stabbed myself by accident."

Aiko and Kankuro both drank. Aiko coughed, holding her drink out in front of her. "Damn that's strong."

"You'll get used to it," Sasori said.

Gaara said, "I've never thought about screwing someone of the same sex."

No one drank.

Aiko went next, "I've never had sex."

Sasori drank. He shook his head. "You're really missing out."

Temari said, "I've never wanted to curse out the next person that talked to me."

Everyone drank.

Kankuro said, "I've never had a severe crush."

Aiko and Temari drank, both blushing.

The boys all laughed. Temari muttered, "Shut up and move on…"

Sasori said, "I've never had dirty thoughts about someone sitting in this room."

He, Aiko, and Gaara all drank.

Kankuro coughed. "Gaara?!"

The kazekage glared. "Don't ask." He then said, "I've never had a happy childhood."

Only Aiko drank. Sasori swayed a bit. "Umm… Kinda. Not really, but whatever." He drank a small sip.

Aiko said, "I've never been out in public without clothes."

Sasori drank.

"I've never been touched sexually."

Aiko and Sasori drank.

Kankuro muttered, "Daaaamn Aiko, You're going to run out soon." He shook his head and said, "I've never been turned on by the sound of a vibration."

Sasori, Kankuro, and Temari drank.

"I've never wanted to or have given someone a hand job."

Temari drank.

Kankuro started to laugh when she did.

"Shut. Up," she hissed.

Gaara said, "I've never misunderstood someone and made a complete idiot of myself."

Kankuro, Temari, and Aiko all drank.

By this point, everyone was quite drunk, questions started to get filthier and filthier, more and more personal, very few of them being silly or innocent.

Sasori shook his glass. "Hmm… I'm out. I lost."

One question later, Aiko had an empty glass as well.

Five questions later, Temari bowed out.

Two more later, Kankuro had his last sip.

Gaara blinked. "I won?"

"Yay!" Aiko cheered, giving him a big kiss on his cheek.

Temari yawned and held her head. "I'm going off to bed. You guys have fun."

Kankuro went with her. "See ya in the morning."

Aiko, Sasori, and Gaara all looked at each other, not even remotely tired. Aiko said, "Let's play traditional Spin the Bottle."

They went back to the bottle and Gaara spun. A few spins later, it landed on Sasori. The older redhead grimaced. "Do I have to?"

Aiko nodded, grabbing a few cookies.

Gaara and Sasori looked at each other, clearly neither liking the prospect of kissing the other. They exchanged a small peck and immediately pulled away. "ICK!" Sasori made a face, matching Gaara's in disgust.

Aiko blushed and squealed. "OMG!"

The two glared at her and Sasori spun. This time it landed on the girl. "Thank God…" he muttered. He placed his chin on his fist and smirked as the girl twitched. She turned and said impatiently, "Well?"

He grabbed hold of her chin and pulled her face to his, his lips meeting hers and pressing against them, molding together. He held her for a good ten seconds before Aiko slapped him away.

"Okay! A little too kiss-happy!" she said, taking the bottle and spinning it. She groaned when it landed on Sasori again. She turned to him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

Sasori chuckled and spun, his grin fading when it landed on Gaara. "…" The two gave a small peck again before pulling back.

Gaara muttered, "Pass that alcohol again." Sasori tossed it to him, the kazekage taking a long, deep sip. He gulped and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, putting the bottle to the side. He spun, hissing in relief when it landed on Aiko. The girl in question squeaked and blushed, grabbing the half-full bottle of alcohol and draining it. She turned back to Gaara and grabbed his face, kissing him like she always wanted to. A few seconds later, they pulled back, panting a bit.

Sasori said, "Did I see tongue there, you two?"

Aiko stuck hers out at him. "That's for us to know and you to think about."

"Careful, I might bite that," he flirted.

"Eww," she said, spinning. It landed on Sasori. "Double Eww."

Sasori smirked. "Come on, it shouldn't be that bad for you. I know you want to kiss me."

Gaara shook his head at the exchange.

Aiko snorted. "I would if you shut up every once in a while." She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his, pulling back a five seconds later. "Happy?"

"Immensely." He spun, the bottle landing on Gaara. Again. He cursed the bottle.

The brunette said, "If you guys kiss for ten seconds, I'll kiss you each for a minute from now on."

They looked at each other, deciding if it was worth it. Sasori asked, "And if we don't?"

"All you get is pecks," she answered cheerfully.

Gaara asked, "Only this turn?"

"Mmmhmm."

Sasori and Gaara leaned in and pressed their lips together for exactly ten seconds before washing down their mouths with water. "You owe us, bitch," Sasori coughed.

She rolled her eyes. "Just spin, Gaara."

He spun and wanted to throw the bottle down in hatred when it landed on Sasori. Both pecked before pulling back in a hurry. Sasori spun as he drank more water. It landed on Aiko. "Finally!"

She shrugged and leaned towards him. Sasori grabbed her shoulders and kissed her deeply, his lips guiding hers in movement, pulling back a minute later. "That definitely kills all the gayness."

Aiko rolled her eyes and spun, in glee when it landed on Gaara. She faced him and they kissed, softly at first, then slowly developing into it and by the time they pulled away, a small trail of spit pulled apart, breaking. They blushed and turned away. Sasori frowned. "I think I'm jealous."

Gaara shrugged. "I'm more likable than you."

"Ha! You wish," Sasori laughed.

Gaara mimicked him before spinning, the bottle landing on the girl again. They kissed their share, Aiko's heart speeding a few paces.

Sasori rolled his eyes as she spun. He said when it landed on him, "I really need to show you what a real kiss is."

"You couldn't kiss if your life depended on it," she said dryly.

He said, "Care to prove you wrong?"

"Go ahead," she said, crossing her arms. She squeaked when Sasori held her cheek and brought their faces together. He kissed her, sending little trembles down her spine. Aiko closed her eyes and parted her lips, Sasori taking this as an invitation to add a little tongue dance to their kiss. His filled whatever space in her mouth was unoccupied, exploring, tasting, and making her head spin.

Gaara looked away, suddenly feeling awkward.

Aiko almost fainted when they pulled apart after the minute passed, panting for breath and pressing a hand to her heart. Sasori smirked. "Wasn't I right?"

"Umm… It was nice," she said quietly. Aiko stood up and said, "I'm going up to bed. I think… yeah… I think we should all go to sleep… What do you guys think?"

Gaara stood up and cleared his throat. "Yeah… Bed sounds good."

Sasori merely shrugged. "Alright."

The three of them went upstairs, Gaara turning down a hallway halfway to their rooms, muttering that he needed to go check on something. The pair walked in silence. Aiko felt sick a few minutes later. She held her stomach.

"You okay?" Sasori asked. "You look a little green."

Aiko swallowed and nodded. "Y-yeah… I'm fine."

He said dryly, "Liar." Sasori grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room. He sat her on his bed and went into the bathroom, coming out with a cup of water. "Drink, now."

Aiko took a long gulp, drinking it all. She breathed out once it was empty, "I feel better… I should get to my room."

He pressed her down by the shoulder. "No you shouldn't. You're not getting sick in your room and then bothering me during the night."

"I would bother you if I stayed here."

"It makes more sense for you to stay here rather than dash back and forth between rooms."

She stayed silent, stifling a sleepy yawn a bit later. Aiko kicked off her shoes and curled into the bed, holding herself as she slowly fell asleep. Sasori got dressed for bed and, once he made sure she was out for the count, lifted the girl off the bed and pulled out the sheets and laid her in. He got in besides her, thinking to himself as he fell into sleep. _This plan will definitely work. I've already planted a seed of a different image into their minds._ He chuckled before slipping into unconsciousness.

---

A/N: Best. Fucking. Chapter. Ever. I had so much fun writing it! I didn't even notice how much I wrote! OVER 5,500 WORDS! But yes, as always, the chapter ends on an unfinished note, leaving room for development. :) A GOOD NIGHT TO YOU ALL!!!

And a note, this story has officially turned 180. No more is the light mood. From now on, Sasori's taking over and he's out for blood. See what happens next time! Whenever I update...


	7. The Mystery Deepens

A/N: The newest chapter! Smile!

WARNING! ALL PREVIOUS READERS, PLEASE GO AND RE-READ CHAPTERS 2-4! THESE CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN EDITED! Thank you. :)

---

Aiko slept, curled into a tiny ball. She didn't snore or talk, but she occasionally moved, shifting and at moments, kicking Sasori.

He glared at the kicking. That was most definitely annoying. Sasori looked at her before looking up and running his plan in his head again. _The brat is definitely going to be an asset to my plan, so I might as well get her close to me. And perhaps… She'll tell me about the door and its secrets. _He looked down at her sleeping face again. "…" Sasori sighed and just went to sleep.

---

As the sun's rays kissed her cheek, Aiko shifted again, stretching herself out with her hands above her. She inhaled deeply, a rush of oxygen running through her system and slowly waking her. Her eyelids groggily opened, squinting from the blast of sunlight flooding her. Her eyes adjusted to the light as she sat up, rubbing the sand out of her eyes.

"Good morning, brat."

She glanced to the side and spotted Sasori, newly dressed. "'Morning, bastard," she yawned, stretching and cracking a few stiff bones in her back.

"Sleep well?" he asked, leaning against his dresser.

"Umm… I guess…" Aiko shrugged.

"Kazekage wants to see you. He said for you to get dressed, eat, find Hikaru, and then go meet him in his office."

She waved dismissingly. "Alright. I'm going." The kunochi got off of Sasori's bed and yawned a word of thanks to him as she walked back to her own room. She walked into her bathroom and stripped down for a bath, turning on the water as she did so. She pulled her shirt over her head, revealing the pale skin of her upper body and a curious scar stretching from shoulder to shoulder on her back. She slipped out of her pants and underwear before slipping into the tub and starting her bath.

---

Sasori, having had showered already, was downstairs, watching Kankuro clean up the mess from yesterday's party. He shook his head at his own actions. He had streaked, kissed another guy, and made out with the brat. It really is amazing what alcohol can do to a person when mixed with excessive sugar. Luckily, there wasn't a hangover.

Kankuro looked at him. "Help?"

"The party wasn't my idea. Why should I?"

Kankuro muttered and continued cleaning up.

Sasori looked up when Aiko came down, humming a tiny tune. "You seem well for someone who was about to barf her insides out yesterday."

She stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed breakfast. "Why wouldn't I?"

He shrugged and waved her off. "Off you go, child. The kazekage awaits."

Aiko laughed and took a bite of her apple. "Don't wait up, Sasori."

The puppeteer rolled his eyes. "As if I would."

She strolled out.

-(A few minutes later)-

Aiko and Hikaru stood before Gaara's desk. He said, "You two need to be careful on this particular mission."

The kunochi smiled. "Don't worry. We'll be fine, Kazekage-Sama."

Hikaru grinned. "Why wouldn't we? We're the best." He added, "After you that is."

His partner rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hikaru. We have a mission to complete." The two of them exited Gaara's office to go prepare.

-(At the Site of the Mission, Midnight)-

Hikaru looked at Aiko. "You know what to do, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Go. The charm in your glove will let me tap into your senses."

Aiko, in disguise, stumbled up to the fortress door, an empty bottle of alcohol in her hands. She started to sob and fell to the ground. "WAAA! NO ONE LOVES ME!" She crawled up to the door and sat against it, smashing the bottle against the door so that it would break. "STUPID ALCOHOL! STUPID COUNTRY! STUPID LIFE!"

Guards walked out to see who was disturbing the quiet environment of the fortress. They looked down at the "drunk", sobbing woman.

"WH-WHAT ARE YOU (hic) LOOKING AT?" she snapped, her eyes filled with tears and her cheeks stained with a trail of tears. "CAN'T YOU SEE I'M UPSET?"

One of them asked, "Umm… Would you mind coming inside?"

"YES!" she snapped. "AS A (hic) MATTER OF FACT, I DO (hic) MIND!"

The leader rubbed his temples. "Grab her."

"GRA- HEY! GET OFF YOU IDIOTS!" Aiko snapped as they grabbed her arms, forcing her to her feet. She started trying to bite them when they ignored her.

"She reeks of alcohol," one of the blokes commented.

"WELL (hic) I WAS VERY OBVIOUSLY DRINKING, GENIUS!" she snapped irritably.

The lead commanded, "Take her to the boss unscathed. We can't deal with her."

She kicked at them as they carried her by the arms to the boss's room. The two men grimaced as she started shouting, "I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL! (Hic) I SWEAR I WILL!"

"Sure you will…" the other big guy muttered.

She kicked him in the balls with the back of her heel. "FACE THE RATH OF MY PAIN, BITCH!"

He grunted in pain. "Let's hurry up." The two tossed her into the boss's room.

She cried out in surprise and yelled, "IDIOTS!" while rubbing her backside.

The boss came in and looked at his visitor. "Hmm… And who are you?"

Aiko broke down in loud sobs again. "I'M A BRO(sob)KEN HEARTED GI(sob)RL!"

"Aww…" he said. "What happened, darling?"

She blurted out in between broken sobs and heavy intakes of breath, "MY FIANCE CHEATED ON ME!"

The man frowned. "That's not nice."

"N-no. (Sniff) it isn't," she agreed, her face in a pout, sniffing and tears still running down her cheeks.

He patted her back sympathetically. "Would you like to sit while I go do something?"

She nodded, sniffling violently, as he helped her up and led her to a chair near the window.

He walked out into the bathroom.

Aiko immediately stood and silently dashed for a safe hidden in his nightstand. She picked the lock within exactly 4.2 seconds (Her new personal record) and grabbed the object inside. She was just about to leave when the tip of a blade pressed to her neck. She sighed silently and said, "So you're smart."

"I saw your scar when I led you to the chair. I know your scar, Aiko Mira,"

She grimaced. "I abandoned that surname four years ago."

"An impressive feat for one only twelve then to have survived the great incident."

Aiko smiled ironically. "The village didn't know that I had learned the clan's secrets yet. I was smart enough to play the innocent child."

He urged her up. "Do you know what my plan was, Aiko-Chan?"

"You might as well say."

He smirked. "I was going to release the Mira seal."

Her eyes grew wide and she turned to face him, wincing slightly when the tip sliced her neck. The wound was shallow, though. "That's suicide and you know it."

"I do," he said. "But it would be worth it to meet the country's best thieves and assassins. You would do them proud if they had seen how quickly you picked that safe's lock."

"…" She glared at him through her hair. "I'm never proud to be a spawn of the Mira clan."

"Liar. You wear it on your back. That scar could've easily been healed, but yet you kept it."

"It's a reminder of the line of murders that rest behind me."

He asked," Are you any different?"

She stayed silent. "…"

_**BOOM!**_

Debris flew everywhere, pelting the two in the room. Hikaru said, leaning against the edges of the hole in the wall, "The girl is too lazy to be like her family."

Aiko shouted, "HIKARU! CATCH!" She threw the item to him.

Hikaru caught it in his gloved hands and commanded, "Let's go!"

Aiko made a dash for the door and cried as her hair was grabbed from behind and yanked, the force knocking her backwards.

Hikaru yelled, "AIKO!" stopping in his tracks to look back at her.

"HIKARU!" she shouted. "KEEP GOING, IDIOT! THE MISSION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME!" Aiko cried out in pain as her captor yanked on the hair he had in his hand. "MOVE, DUMBASS!"

The man's goons entered the room and went for Hikaru. He debated going and helping her. "Aiko, I…"

"YOU NOTHING!" she cried out, clutching her aching head. "**GO, HIKARU!** THEY'RE ALMOST TO YOU!!"

He clenched his teeth before placing the item in his armored bag. He turned to the enemy and whipped out a train of kunai.

"HIKARU, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Aiko shouted, crying again when the man yanked on her hair.

The shinobi threw a kunai for each man trailing him, most hitting their targets. He pulled out his sword and dashed forward, slicing through them.

While he was doing that, the man that had a hold on Aiko pulled her up by the hair, forcing her to stand and give another pained cry. The man placed cuffs on her wrists with one hand, then examining her face. "Hmm…"

"Get your filthy ass hands off of me," she spat.

He slapped her in turn. "Disrespectful bitch."

Aiko merely flinched, glaring at him icily.

Hikaru had killed all of his opponents, daggers sticking out of their skulls, guts strewn over the floor, the stone of the fortress bathed in blood, and a few organs laid within the bath of blood. He made a mad dash for his partner, clutching the bloodied sword at hand.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, HIKARU!" she snapped at him.

The man threw her to the ground, still holding her by the hair. "You're both going to die anyway." He snapped her leg like a twig and pressed his foot to her back, crushing her ribs.

Aiko groaned in pain, tears starting to stream down her dirtied face.

Hikaru, despite her orders, crept closer, circling the man and her.

"Any closer and I break her rib cage," he growled, emphasizing his point by pressing his foot harder against her back.

Aiko gave out her loudest cry yet. "LET GO!"

He yanked her head up.

Hikaru looked for an opening. He remembered a certain jutsu he learned from Kankuro and attached chakra strings to a flat slab of wood. He commanded the wood forward, scraping the man's foot from Aiko's back, sending him stumbling back and yanking her into sitting position with him. Hikaru was at her side in an instant. "Your hair…"

"Cut it off…" she cried as the man started pulling again, waving a dagger in the air.

"But…"

"CUT IT OFF!" Aiko shouted before he could finish his sentence.

Hikaru took his bloodied blade and cut through the strands of her hair, freeing her from the enemy man. They moved away just in time to avoid the falling dagger, aimed at their hearts. He took his partner into his arms and ran out, fast enough as to not get caught. He ran. Ran more than he had ever ran in his life, clutching a girl and a bloodied blade in his arms.

Aiko looked over his shoulder. "He gave up on us…" Her voice was broken.

The other didn't say anything. He stayed silent, running for Sunagakure. Aiko remained silent as well, shaking a bit, her newly cut hair dripping with dead men's blood, and a curious pain in her side. She coughed, red staining the black of her gloves. "…" Neither of them said a word, yet they were thinking the same thing. This was possibly the most dangerous mission they've ever done.

After hours and hours of non-stop running, Hikaru collapsed in a bloody heap at the gates of Suna, the sword falling into the sand and Aiko still in his arms, not having been able to rest either. He called out into the dawn, "SOMEONE HELP!" before falling unconscious.

Aiko shook him. "Hikaru? Hikaru! Hikaru! Wake up!" she cried, shaking him.

"… You really fucked yourself up."

She looked up to see red hair and golden honey brown eyes. "Sasori… Please…"

---

Sasori had them both in his arms, carrying the girl gently, seeing as she had a broken leg and by the sounds of it, a few ribs as well. He had the other one draped over his shoulder as he knocked on the door of the manor, greeted by horrified gasps. "Here," he said. "Take him." He shoved Hikaru into Temari's arms, carrying the brat off.

"What about Aiko?" she called after him.

"I'll take care of her!" he shouted back.

Aiko looked at him through eyes filled with surprise, still not speaking, however.

"Don't look at me like that," Sasori told her curtly, turning into his room and sitting her on his bed. Blood from her hair dripped down her back and onto his sheets, her silence making him weary. But he asked, "Can you show me where it hurts?"

She pointed to her left lower leg, her rib cage, and her scalp.

Sasori pulled off her shoe and jostled her leg, earning him a pained look. He could even feel the fracture. He went to her room, coming back with a roll of linen bandages he knew were in her drawer. He grabbed some wood he had lying around and prepared a splint for after she was cleaned. "… Thank you," she said to him.

"You're welcome. Now, your ribs, you said?"

She nodded and he put his hands under her breasts, feeling at the ribs. They weren't fractured, thankfully, but they were incredibly close to being so. Sasori looked at her. "Where else?"

"My roots hurt like hell…"

He went to her room again and came back with her comb, running it through her hair and coming out with numerous loose strands (all looked like they were yanked out), blood and grime. "What happened to your hair?" he asked, noting that it was shorter.

"I had to cut it during the mission…" she said quietly. "He had hold of it and if Hikaru hadn't cut it, he would've killed us."

"Is all this blood your own?"

"Not the blood on my hair. But the blood on my front, most of it is."

Sasori shook his head. "You need a bath." He picked her up and carried her to her room and setting her on the chair at her desk. "Hot or cold water?"

"Warm…" she said.

He disappeared into her bathroom and a few seconds later, the sounds of running water could be heard. Sasori filled her bath and looked out. "Do you think you can do it yourself?"

She thought about before saying with a blush, "I'm going to need help undressing…"

Sasori rolled his eyes and helped her into the bathroom. "No need to blush, brat."

"…" Aiko looked at him before shaking her head and muttering, "I'm blushing because I need help from you, douche. It's shame."

"At least you're back to sounding like the regular brat," Sasori said, gently helping her out of her mission jacket. "But that's a little ungrateful, child. I'm helping you in a time of need. Something I don't normally do for just anyone."

She rolled her eyes. "Thank you so much." The kunochi paused before saying softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I really am grateful for your help."

Sasori nodded and continued unwrapping the bandages on her chest. "I think the bandages were what saved your ribs from snapping."

"Thank god…" she sighed. "At least now I know they serve a purpose."

"They shouldn't have to… Your rib cage shouldn't be getting crushed in the first place," he muttered. He stopped; surprised that he even said that.

She smiled softly. "Nice to know you care, Sasori."

He shook his head and pulled off the shoe left on before discarding it and lifting her slightly so that he could help her wiggle out of her pants. He tossed those to the ground before looking at the bit of bandages covering her lower end. "You're going to have to stand."

"Help?" she said weakly.

Sasori helped her up and left her supporting herself by her arms on the ledge of the tub. He started untying the knot of the bandages and unwrapping those as well before noticing the scar slashed across her upper back. "… What is that?"

She gripped the ledge of the tub. "It's nothing. It was when I was younger, so it's nothing."

Sasori fell silent. More mysteries. This girl, shallow as she seemed, was just full of them.

"This feels really awkward…" she commented.

The puppeteer asked, not looking up, "Really? I'm at ease."

"You're not the one who's getting undressed by the opposite sex here…" Aiko muttered.

"True," he shrugged. "It also helps that I've seen plenty of naked women in my lifetime."

"…" She looked over her shoulder. "Are you done?"

"Almost. It's really not my fault you wrap twenty feet of linen around yourself everyday."

"I could easily unwrap it in ten seconds."

Sasori said calmly, "I'm not you, am I?"

She shrugged. "True."

He finished and asked. "You need help bathing?"

"No. I think I could manage," she said. "Though I could use help getting inside."

Sasori swept her into his arms, earning a squeak of surprise from the girl. He softly deposited her inside the tub. "Is that all?"

"Yes…" she said, looking away from him. "Thank you."

Sasori walked out of the bathroom, leaving her with her thoughts and submerged in water.

"Sasori?"

He walked back in. "Yes?"

"Why were you outside?" She asked and draped her arms over her knees.

"Do you really need that answered?"

Aiko looked at him expectantly. "Sasori, you're my main mission, no matter how many others I take on. I can't trust you enough to just let you do things. Now, I'm going to ask again. What were you doing outside the manor by yourself?"

Sasori sighed and ran a hand back through his red hair. "I was taking a walk. It unnerved me that you and Hikaru were taking so damn long on a simple robbery."

"Well… I guess it was a good thing you showed up when you did," she finally said after a moment of silence. "I'll let you off the hook this time, but be warned, I'll be out of commission for a while, so next time, ask me?"

"I suppose it would be fair," he said. "Now finish your bath, Aiko."

She smiled brightly. "You finally said my name, not brat or kid."

He thought about it. "Hmm… I guess I did." Sasori turned heel, stepping outside the bathroom.

Aiko grabbed a sponge and started rubbing the blood and grime off of her skin.

---

The hairdresser looked at the brunette before her. "The cut was really uneven…"

"Can you fix it?" Aiko asked.

"Sure," she shrugged and wrapped a cloth around the girl's shoulders before taking up her scissors.

Aiko closed her eyes.

---

Gaara said to Sasori, "Are you sure you treated her well enough?"

"You think I would poison her?" Sasori asked. "I'm not evil enough to kill her while she's down. Besides," he pointed out apathetically. "I'm not the one who sent her on the mission."

"You say it like I meant to hurt her."

"Of course not. I just think you should've collected more information on the man."

"… He knew her, but she didn't know him," Gaara said. "No one can pick locks as fast or as quietly as she can."

Something hit him. "Mira."

"What about it?"

"I can't believe I didn't remember sooner," he muttered. "The Mira clan was infamous for their thievery and murder techniques while I was in the village. They were hated by everyone and were marked by…" Sasori's eyes widened. "Pale skin and a brand of Sunagakure."

Gaara looked at him. "You figured it out?"

"How couldn't I?" he snapped. "Shit…" Sasori cursed. "The brat is one of their hell children?"

"She gave up the name," Gaara said. "She tries to live outside her birth surname."

"Damn stu—" he stopped talking when the girl in question limped out of the shop with help of the stylist and looked at them with innocent curiosity. "…" There was something familiar about that cut.

"Hmm?" Aiko cocked her head to the side. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Gaara answered. "We were just talking." When Aiko wasn't looking, he shot a look at Sasori for him to stay quiet.

Sasori ignored the look and suggested, "Let's get home."

She thanked the woman so Gaara could wrap her arm around his shoulders and help her walk.

---

Sasori punched the wall of his room. _Shit… Shit… Shit… A Mira? Those people were hated little assholes. But everyone was afraid of them too… No wonder I forgot them. I hadn't seen one in over ten years. _He stopped and thought. _Why don't I see them walking around like they used to? I mean, the brat is one of them, but no one seems to mind her. She walks around like everyone else. She acts like everyone else. She only looks like them. _Gaara's words echoed in his mind. _'No one can pick locks as fast or as quietly as she can.' Dammit. _He cursed mentally. _God knows if she can kill as well as the rest of her clan… _Sasori pressed his palm against the sandy walls of the manor. _I must know everything about this situation. She's a greater threat than I imagined. _His knuckles turned white.

-(End)-

A/N: Yay! End of chapter! :D Umm… So yeah. You'll all find out what happened with this whole 'Mira' mystery soon enough. Yay? I think I'm getting closer and closer the ending, which will be a whole other surprise. ;)


	8. Kazu: The Other Sibling

A/N: I know some of you guys are thinking 'GAH! SUE!' But believe me, the whole Mira thing will just make the ending twice as good. Don't worry. This isn't the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own cookies. Err… I mean Naruto.

---

Aiko sat in her room, her leg propped up on a pile of pillows. She had her hands rested on her stomach, looking upwards to the sand-colored ceiling.

Hikaru walked inside. "You ok?"

"I'm the one that should be asking that," she said, turning her head to look at him.

"You're the one that suffered the damage. All I did was exhaust myself and risk my neck for you." He smirked.

"Well, it serves you right for not listening to me," she scolded, sticking her tongue out.

"So you can't do missions for a while?"

She shook her head. "No… Not for six months. The splint will come off in three, but the medics want to be careful and so they banned me from missions for six. Except for babysitting Sasori."

"You do realize the tables turned and I'm now babysitting you, right?" Sasori commented, holding her lunch in his hands.

Hikaru and Aiko looked at him. "Well, I'm your official babysitter, you just took it upon yourself to babysit me," she pointed out.

He merely shrugged and said to Hikaru. "Sit the brat up."

Hikaru propped her up and placed pillows on her back. Sasori placed the tray on her lap. "Look at you, being served and tended to by two guys."

She rolled her eyes. "One is an evil psychotic puppeteer and the other is a smartass idiot that talks way too much and lacks common sense. Oh yeah. Lucky me."

Hikaru laughed when Sasori said, "I'm touched. You acknowledged me. Now eat before you starve yourself to death."

"Yes mother…" she muttered and started eating.

Sasori asked, "Would you be willing to tell me about that scar? Or maybe why you tense up whenever I ask about anything?"

Aiko froze.

"She's doing it again," he muttered under his breath.

Hikaru said, "Really, you shouldn't worry about it, Sasori. It's not even like she'd be capable of telling."

She glared. "You're lucky you're my friend, Hikaru."

"What? Are you going to kill me?" he asked sarcastically. "I'm terrified. The girl with the broken leg is going to kill me."

Sasori shook his head at the two, not really minding that his questions weren't answered. He said, "Please do ignore me."

Aiko waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry. You'll live."

"Nice to know you're well enough to be sarcastic to your saviors."

She batted her eyelashes. "D'Aww. Does the poor baby want a kiss?"

Sasori snorted. "I would throw something at you, but then the food would spill and I'd have to clean it."

Hikaru just laughed at them. "I gotta go. I have to go see my mom. She wants my help with something."

"Get outta here, Mama's boy," Aiko shooed him, taking another bite of her meal.

He rolled his eyes and mused her hair. "See you, cripple." Both of which earned him a death glare. Hikaru said good-bye to Sasori as well and left.

Sasori asked, "Are you done?"

She took two more bites before smiling and saying, "Yeah. I'm done."

He grabbed the tray and took it down. Aiko frowned once he was gone and stared up at the ceiling. A total time of four months had passed since Sasori first was revived in Sunagakure. He showed slow signs of improvement; his occasional curiosity about the Mira clan was a setback but still… At least he wasn't threatening everyone as much as he used to. As a matter of fact, just three days ago, he called her by her name and helped her when she was injured. That was proving that he was changing. She closed her eyes. He really was changing… As far as she knew, she could somewhat trust he wouldn't hurt her. She could. Right? (It somehow totaled to 666 words at 'Right?' Talk about foreshadow…)

"Don't tell me you went on and died while I was gone."

The bed shifted a bit from Sasori's weight as she opened her eyes and turned to him. "I'm not that easy to get rid of."

"Of course, brat." She glared at him as he continued, "I have to head to work, so try not to die?"

Aiko stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll manage."

"Oh yeah, did I mention?"

"Mention what?"

He stood up and headed for the door. "Gaara is your babysitter while I'm gone."

She squeaked. "Wh-what?"

"Try to play nice while I'm gone?" (… 777 right there. What is it with this chapter? O.o)

"Don't worry, Sasori," she said with a smile. "I have no problems getting along with Gaara-Sama."

Gaara walked in then. "… What about 'Gaara-Sama'?"

"Oh…" Sasori rolled his eyes. "Just talking about how much the brat loves you."

Aiko devilishly grinned and purred, "That's right. I want to throw him on this bed now and strip him."

Gaara turned red at the thought as Sasori laughed. "Behave, brat."

She devilishly grinned as he walked out. Her grin turned to a smile. "Hello."

"Hi…" He sat down at her bedside. "Is there anything you need?"

"No," Aiko shook her head. "Not at the moment. But thanks anyway." She smiled at him.

He gave a small smile in return. "What were you talking to Sasori about?"

"Nothing you should worry about, really. Sasori is just stupid," Aiko said, rolling her eyes.

Gaara shrugged. "It just worries me from time to time."

Aiko smiled. "Don't worry. If Sasori wanted to hurt me, he'd have done it by now. He's had more than enough opportunities." When Gaara didn't look convinced, Aiko wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling. "You're such a worry-wart, Kazekage-Sama!"

Gaara felt his cheeks grow warm. He still wasn't used to affection from anyone just yet. "Aiko-San?"

"Mm?"

"Could you…" Gaara coughed. "Erm… Release me?"

She smiled wider. "I'm not done hugging you yet, Gaara-Sama."

He opened his mouth again to protest again before closing it and awkwardly wrapping his arms back around her, his face an interesting shade of pink. Gaara placed his chin on her shoulder, closing his eyes.

"Gaara-Sama…?" Aiko whispered hesitantly, her hands clutching fistfuls of the back of his shirt.

"Yes?" Gaara opened an eye, glancing towards her.

"… You shouldn't be so anxious anymore. No one wants to hurt you now…"

He sighed. "You never know when it comes to shinobi."

Aiko laughed as she pulled back from the hug, placing a confident hand on her flexed bicep. "If anyone hurts Gaara-Sama, Aiko-Chan will make sure they don't get away with it. I won't forgive anyone who hurts our Gaara-Sama."

Gaara merely smiled as Hikaru choose that moment to appear. "Pssh. All they need to do is step on you to get rid of that mini-annoyance."

His only reply was an irritated finger. "Fuck you, Hikaru." That too.

Hikaru asked Gaara, "Kazekage-Sama? Where's Sasori?"

"He's off at Kankuro's warehouse," the Kazekage answered.

Aiko interrupted. "Speaking of which… Hikaru, you lazy ass, idiotic, incompetent bastard, shouldn't you be with him?"

Hikaru glared at her. "To answer your question, Aiko, you rude, lazy-as-hell, miniscule bitch, I was just looking for him."

She rolled her eyes before batting her eyelashes prettily. "Aww… Your panties in a bunch 'cause you can't find your boyfriend?"

Hikaru snorted. "At least I would have one."

Gaara watched them with an eyebrow raised. Aiko smiled sweetly. "So you admit to having a psychotic felon as your gay lover?"

The blue-eyed genius knocked on her forehead. "There's only one flaw in your logic."

Aiko snapped at him with her teeth, successfully making Hikaru draw back the fist he had used to rap her forehead. "And that flaw would be?"

"I never said I was gay, which I'm not, so you're missing the biggest chunk of evidence."

Aiko stole his glasses and stuck her tongue out at him. "For all I know, you could just be in denial. You know that Sasori's weird sadistic fetishes turn you on."

Hikaru's face was one of disgust as he snatched back his glasses. "You know what? I have officially lost all of the little remaining respect I had for you for that statement."

Aiko burst out laughing. "As if you could lose what wasn't there! HAHA! Your face was priceless!"

Hikaru just gave up. He shook his head at her and teleported away, muttering the word 'idiot' under his breath.

Aiko yelled after him, "I LOVE YOU TOO, 'KARU!"

"How in the world are you two friends?" Gaara wondered, puzzled.

Aiko shrugged. "We just are. It's one of those strange love-hate relationships. We can't last a day without talking to the other." She muttered to herself, "Not like I haven't tried…"

"… Is that how all friends act?"

She laughed. "Of course not. Some do, but not all."

"Am I your friend?" Gaara asked, curious.

Aiko shrugged. "I think you are, but I've been wrong."

"I think we are friends," the Kazekage concluded after a moment of thought. He then grew curious again. "Are you Sasori's friend?"

The brunette tossed her head back and laughed for a good few minutes. "Ha! Us? Friends? HA!" She finally stopped laughing and muttered, "He's a good pain in my ass; that's what he is."

Gaara looked at her, confused. "All this friend talk is confusing."

Aiko shook her head. "You're someone's friend if you feel comfortable around them and like talking to them. Like I like talking to you. However, they have to feel the same way too or else you're probably not friends."

He stood silent for a while, looking at the sheets on the bed. Aiko watched Gaara think, thinking about what he's thinking about until their silence was broken by the growl of Gaara's stomach. His cheeks grew red as he averted his eyes. She laughed. "I think you should go grab something to eat. I can survive for a few minutes."

He merely smiled as he stood and walked down.

A breeze of wind from the window alerted Aiko of the presence of someone. The kunochi didn't have to look back to know who it was; the familiar scent of water was strong enough. "Nice to know you're still alive, Aniki."

Alas it seems that Aiko was not the only Mira child to still breathe. Her only older brother, Kazu, had been away on a mission at the time of the… incident. There were others too that had gotten extremely lucky. Aiko herself was a mix between the luckiest and the unluckiest; lucky to be alive and unlucky to have experienced the blood shed behind the gates to the Mira Cavern. However, Kazu had come back near the end of the civil war in time to see his other family members breathe their last breaths, bathed in pools of both friend and foe's blood, and to save his sister from suffocation. Somewhere in the midst of the fighting, someone had shoved her into a cabinet and locked her in and even then she had narrowly had a face-to-face encounter with death when a sword jabbed through the wood and sliced the skin of her back from shoulder to shoulder. She assumed that her attacker had been killed mid-strike because the sword did not move again after it sliced through. It hurt. It hurt so much, but she dared not make a single move to remove the sword from the place where it had broken skin.

She only started to cry after the noises of conflict died and cried harder once she was in the arms of her brother. He was the last of her family. The only other left. And now here he was after having left Sunagakure for over three years. Green eyes met green. Their resemblance was unmistakable. He had the same color eyes; the same colored long hair that fell to mid-back, even when tied out of his face; the same skin tone and the same small-body frame. Wrappings covered his mouth and nose. He wore a navy blue cotton shirt and pants as well as finger-less gloves. His Sunagakure ninja headband sat proudly on his forehead, gleaming in the light of the desert sun and a sash of black rope was wrapped around his waist and black zori protecting his feet.

Kazu finally spoke. "Yeah. I'm alive and well. Good to know you're still alive after that rumor I heard." He paused. "Did that Daiookami kid seriously save you?" He rambled, "I mean, I would've expected it out of Satoshi, but what's-his-face never really struck me as doing something as big and dramatic as saving my idiot of a little sister from near-death." He blocked the pillow Aiko threw at him with his arm. "What?"

Aiko snapped, "I don't see you in three fucking years…" Her glare silenced him when he was about to say something about her choice of words. "And you only come to say 'Hey sis! I heard you almost got killed during a mission, so I just wanted to make sure you weren't permanently crippled or something because that would seriously suck! Well then! Now that I know you're okay, I'm going to go disappear for another fucking damn three, maybe six or ten years or until you experience another near-death encounter! Bye-bye now! Have a nice life until then!'"

---

Gaara ran upstairs quietly when he heard yelling from Aiko's room, dropping his food. He slowed to a stop before her door, opting against bursting in when he heard the words 'Hey sis!' and knelt before the wood, listening in case whoever this was caused harm to the kunochi inside. '_Be smart and don't do anything that would force me to kill you, intruder._'

---

Kazu looked ready to say something, but Aiko cut him off again, yelling, "Don't you fucking dare fucking say that that wasn't what your fucking dumb ass was going to fucking say the fucking instant I fucking said that I was fucking alive! Three fucking years, Kazu! I damn well barely had you near me for one single fucking year before you packed your fucking shit and left!"

"Fuck, Aiko," he grumbled. "The profanity wasn't necessary." She looked ready to strangle him, so he changed his approach. "I left. So what? I'm back now and I was planning on staying—"

"Until you find another fucking treasure to chase after," she muttered.

Kazu gave her a warning look. "I was planning on settling in Suna permanently after I found out that you had almost died; again."

"Aren't you the most fucking amazing brother ever?" she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Abso-fucking-lutely amazing."

Kazu sighed. "I also came because I heard about your latest mission."

"Which mission?" she yawned. "I get a lot of missions."

"Don't act like a dumb ass. You know which mission," Kazu snapped.

She scowled and glared, flipping him the finger. "My latest mission was the one that almost sealed my fate into the old caverns."

Kazu rubbed his temples with the thumb and pointer of his hand. "The baby-sitting one."

She shrugged. "So? What about it?"

He hissed, "You honestly think I'd sit back and possibly sentence my sister to death because she hangs around with a criminal."

"That 'criminal' is doing a better job of being my brother than you ever did!" Aiko yelled, slamming her fist against the bed in anger. "Both he and Hikaru, 'that Daiookami kid', saved my life! They didn't get there 'just in time' because just in time really could've killed me this time, Kazu! They were there and you weren't! That's the simple matter of it! You know something!" she yelled, growing angrier by the second. "You probably have a better chance of killing me then Sasori does! Shit! I barely even know who the hell you even are anymore! Grab a fucking dagger and stab me with it because I honestly would've seen it coming anyway!"

"Aiko! He's killed others before! You don't know him!"

She tensed in rage, curling and uncurling the fingers in her hand, looking away from him. "Get out, Kazu," Aiko said in a dangerously low voice.

"But—"

Her self-control snapped. "GO FUCKING FUCK YOURSELF! I FUCKING SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY DAMN ROOM BEFORE I FUCKING DRIVE YOUR FUCKING STUPID ASS HEAD THOUGH A FUCKING WALL IN TWO FUCKING SECONDS! YOU DON'T FUCKING MATTER ANYMORE, KAZU! I FUCKING COULDN'T GIVE TWO FUCKING SHITS ABOUT WHATEVER THE FUCK IT IS YOU FUCKING WASTE YOUR FUCKING LIFE ON FOR FUCKING THREE OR FOUR OR WHATEVER FUCKING AMOUNT OF YEARS! ALL YOUR FUCKING BITCHING ABOUT MY FUCKING LIFE DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER! GO FUCKING CHASE WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT! BE A FUCKING MAN-WHORE FOR ALL I FUCKING CARE! JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FUCKING ROOM! _**NOW**_!" (XD She cursed like 30 times in that one paragraph. It's a good thing I don't censor, or else the entire thing would've been: BLEEP!BLEEP!BLEEP!)

Kazu moved towards her. "Aiko…"

Gaara opened the door and glared at him. "I suggest you do what she says before you cause any further damage."

"Great. You live with two weirdoes," Kazu muttered.

Aiko hissed angrily, glaring daggers at him. "In case you haven't heard, _brother_, Gaara-Sama is the Kazekage."

Kazu grumbled, stepping onto the window sill, "I knew I shouldn't have come back…"

"GET OUT!" That did it. Her brother leaped down onto the sandy ground below.

Gaara looked at Aiko. "…"

The kunochi breathed heavily for a few more seconds. She closed her eyes to calm herself, muttering things like "happy place" "bunnies" "flowers" and "sunshine". Once she was breathing normally, she opened her eyes once more as she fell back against the bed. "Lock the windows, please?" she asked quietly as she pulled the sheets of her bed over herself. Gaara did so, making sure that they were locked tightly, before sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I take it that was your brother," Gaara said.

Aiko muttered, "The one and only infamous, Kazu." She looked like a big black lump under her sheets.

"What hap--"

She cut him off. "I don't wanna talk about it, so please drop it."

Gaara stood silent for a few seconds before he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door and leaving Aiko to her thoughts…

-[Later that Same Afternoon]-

Kankuro looked over Sasori's handiwork, inspecting the puppets. He looked over a few more before he finally stopped. "Great job. They're excellent."

Sasori placed his chin on his fist. "What else would you expect from me? Why even bother to inspect them?"

"Actually, I'm checking for bombs," Kankuro muttered dryly. "Don't look at me like that, Psycho," (Sasori had been glaring) "you know damn well we expect it."

The redhead sighed. "I'm trying to be good and I think I've done a pretty good job at it lately."

Hikaru added, from his post at the wall, "I must admit that you have earned some trust."

"Fine then," Kankuro resigned. "I'll only inspect every once in a while, randomly; a maximum of three times a week. Ok?"

Sasori shrugged. "It's a step in the right direction.

Hikaru smiled whimsically. "I'm sure he'll come around… Eventually… Never…" The puppeteer glared. "Kidding, kidding!" Hikaru said, holding his hands up in defense. "No need to kill me in my sleep."

Sasori snorted and looked out the window to the setting sun. "Can I go home now? I'm sick of seeing both your faces all day…"

"Mean," Hikaru grumbled. "But I guess it is time for you to go back."

The redhead merely yawned and stood, stretching. "Let's go."

"I think I'll stay in here for a while longer," Kankuro said, taking a seat at a wood working station.

"Your loss; Come on, Hikaru," Sasori motioned with his hand as he walked out. Hikaru resented being ordered but followed anyway. The black haired youth fixed his glasses and took a scroll from his pocket to read over. So many types of jutsu… So little time… He read as he walked, keeping a mental tab on Sasori, following him through the crowd. Interesting jutsu he was reading about… It apparently enabled the user to alter light waves around themselves to ma—"OW!" The scroll flew out his hands as he fell to the ground on his behind.

Sasori stopped and looked back. The person who had bumped into Hikaru… Was that the brat?! No… That child could barely move when he last saw her and the other figure was much too masculine to be her… Though he looked just like her…

"Watch where you're going! Fuck, man!" Kazu snapped, on the ground.

Hikaru looked up and snapped right back, "Maybe you should watch where you're going, idiot! Or here's a better idea! Apologize for bumping into _me._ Fucking hell, Ai-" The shinobi stopped. "You look mighty familiar."

Kazu stood and dusted himself off. "And just what were you about to call me?" he grumbled, irked.

"I know someone who looks a lot like you. Do you have a sister?" Hikaru asked as he stood, grabbing his scroll.

"Yeah… I do…" Kazu looked at the black-haired kid. "What's it to you?"

Realization hit. "Hikaru! We were going home, remember?" Sasori reminded him irritably.

Kazu let out a string of curses. "Fucking hell! I don't need this!"

Hikaru grabbed Kazu's arm as he tried to run. "Kazu… Have you talked to her?"

"The moment I came back," he grumbled. "She wasn't too happy though, so I would leave out this little meeting if I were you."

Sasori rolled his eyes. "Great. The brat has another hell-spawn of a clone. This meeting is touchy and all, but I'm not in the mood for chit-chat."

Hikaru dismissed him. "You'll see how she's doing in a second, Sasori. Just… hold on for a moment." He turned back to Kazu. "What did you say to her?"

"Why the hell do you automatically assume I said something wrong?!" Kazu snapped.

"Because I know you too well, Kazu. Now tell me before I have to pry it out of your already unhappy sister and make her even angrier with you." Hikaru shrugged coolly. "Your choice."

"All I did was walk in and she started cursing at me and throwing a fit. I asked how she was doing and she yelled even more. I made a few comments and she went into full PMS mode, yelled at me and kicked me out," he grumbled.

Hikaru shook his head at Kazu. "I suggest you wait a while before your next visit; let her cool down." He walked away with Sasori.

Sasori asked, "Who was that?"

"That? That was Aiko's older brother, Kazu. I don't really like him…" Hikaru said, rolling up his scroll. "He left the village three years ago back, while Aiko was still kinda paranoid…"

"He looks just like her…" he muttered, looking over his shoulder.

Hikaru sighed. "He may look like her, but Aiko, as mean as she is from time to time, is ten times nicer than Kazu could ever be. Calling him mean would be like calling a full-grown wolf a puppy."

Sasori unlocked the doors to the manor. "He's that bad?"

"You have no idea…" Hikaru waved. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sasori nodded and closed the door, heading upstairs. He opened the door and sweat-dropped as the sight of Aiko under the sheets welcomed him. She was talking to herself. He sighed.

---

END!

A/N: So yeah… A nice long chapter to make up for the absence and the writer's block I had going on for a few months. Reading Shugo Chara seems to have rekindled my writing flame… :D


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